Everybody Lies
by TurnerPendragon
Summary: Hermione Granger, gone too far back in time, meets Merlin, the greatest wizard of all time. In her search for a way back, she turns wrong, making an enemy of him. But how long can they deny that there was never a chance to not be together at all? Shipping: Hermione/Merlin, slight Hermione/Prince Arthur.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Pretty new to fanfiction. Be harsh. **I own nothing.** Based on HP and BBC's "The Adventures of Merlin"

It befell that Merlin was infatuated by the damsel that King Pellinore brought to the court. And she was one of the damsels of the Lady of the Lake, named Hermione. Merlin would have no rest, but always wished to be with her. And she made Merlin good cheer till she had learned from him all manner of things that she desired.

**Chapter one: **in which the world is tilted out of balance and returned to it once again.

_I solemnly swear I am up to no good._ J. , "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban."

It was a day like any other after the declaration of war. The sky was covered with a layer of smoke and dust and the sun was invisible to the eyes. Breathing in, she was able to smell magic and blood.

Blood. The streets of London were tainted with crimson creeks like the Paris' during the revolution. River of Thames was coloured red. Muggles and wizards alike had been slaughtered and the bloodbath continued to be. The world was in a chaos. And in the midst of it all was she: a lady of sound, mind and body, carrying battle scars and a crimson coat over her shoulders.

Wearing a dress of Slytherin green under the cape, Hermione Granger smirked at her reflection. The golden pendant around her neck glimmered in the dim candlelight. Her beautiful eyes were full of sadness, yet kept looking for answers she knew she wouldn't find in the looking-glass. "What am I doing?" she questioned herself."Why am I here?" Grimmauld Place had never felt so lonely before. Ronald Weasley, her first true love, was dead, Harry Potter, her best friend, had faced the same fate.

She could not count the bodies of her fallen comrades. Instead of being allowed to fight, she had been forced to research, while her heart ached for the battle. One by one, each of the members of the Order of the Phoenix fell.

When she turned, she knew well what to do. No one was there to stop her now that she had been left alone in the frightening house. Her old time turner laid on the table, tempting her over and over again. She'd packed everything necessary. Perhaps she'd never be able to use the items, for her plan was outrageous, impossible even, but she knew she had to try.

She broke the time turner and emptied the golden sand into one of the vials used for transporting the memories. It glittered as she added a silvery drop of her own mind in it. They melted together instantly with a fizzing sound, turning darker and darker by each passing second until it was as black as the clothes of Voldemort's followers.

"Please work," she muttered, drinking all of the liquid at once. Dizziness overtook her. Then, she was no more.

There were many reasons for her actions, she reasoned with herself, as she fell through the darkness. She felt it embrace her tight. The lack of stars did not frighten her. It was cold, but comforting. She was void of any pain, a bodyless soul floating in the vast nothingness. Free. Nothing could hurt her there.

Time - what a fragile thing it was. It had been ripped apart and tampered with. Hermione Granger, the brightest witch of her age, had destroyed it - and put it back together again. All that for a single small reason.

Hope. If by chance, she could kill Riddle before everything in him changed. If she could destroy or even find out all of the horcruxes, she could save the lives her friends had lost. So many ifs and coulds haunted her mind.

Yet she kept falling. Screaming in terror as her body continued to materialize, she found herself listening to a foreign tune. A voice was singing in the darkness around her in an unfamiliar language. She heard children laughing.

She hit the ground. It was cold and stiff, it made her hurt. The giggles turned into screams. It struck to her as strange, but suddenly she was turned around and faced with an abrupt question:"Are you okay?"

Light blinded her eyes. She squinted them and found herself looking into the eyes of a young blond girl, hardly older than herself. Hermione tried to nod, but the stranger was having none of it.

"Someone call Gaius!" she yelled and her orders were followed."Stay with me, lady. It will be alright." Hermione wondered what was going on. Her mind was fuzzy, remembering only bits of her deed. As the recollections gathered, she was sure she'd been successful. However, before acting on it, she had to confirm it.

"Where am I?" she croaked, trying to sit up. The woman pushed her back down.

"Camelot. Try not to move until Gaius comes, please," she replied hastily. Hermione sighed disappointedly.

Camelot. The place of myth and history. Also, the place hundreds of years before she had intended to land in it. She cursed inwardly, contemplating what to do next.

"Who's the king?" she shot her next question, trying to connect the knowledge with what she had learnt from books.

"Now that would be Uther, my dear child," answered an old man, limping towards them. "Stupid Merlin, what will he do next? Send me another one of his injured knights?" he was grumpy, hearing calls from the courtyard."Tell Prince Arthur I'm busy and shall look into his wounds later!" he told the girl, kneeling down next to the young stranger.

"Now, that drop I heard about might have broken a few bones," he said, fumbling through her body."So tell me if it hurts!" But Hermione felt no pain.

"I'm fine," she declared sitting up."My head aches a bit, but it's probably not serious." She tried smiling, but Gaius was not a fool.

"We should get you some medicament then," he motioned her to follow."Come along!" he added annoyed, when the girl didn't move.

"I don't think it's such a good idea," she said hesitatingly. Gaius shook his head and started to walk away. "Hurry up!" he called without looking back."It's not every day that a half-horse, half-bird drops a person over the town. I'm sure King Uther has questions for you as well."

The girl froze, as the sudden realization hit her hard in the face. Magic was forbidden and punishable by death. She calculated silently her chances and concluded she was better off following the court physician. If she tried escaping the king, she'd be burnt anyway - or worse, be beheaded.

Gaius lived not too far from where she had landed, but Hermione found the way exhausting in her unconventional high heels. It was a wonder her dress was long enough to cover them from curious eyes. Surely the blabbering mouths would have ended betraying her along the way. She plopped down on a seat, looking curiously around, as Gaius meddled with his potions. Suddenly, they both came to a halt, when the door was hit open. Hermione winced at the sudden sound that continued to echo in her head.

"Gaius!" the blond bellowed, while a shorter brunette kept jumping behind him, saying:"I tried to tell him, Gaius! I tried to tell him!" with an innocent grin. Hermione observed them both.

The blond was without a doubt Arthur Pendragon, future king of Camelot. His looks highly exceeded Hermione's expectations, but his arrogance reminded her strongly of a certain boy that had once been turned into a ferret. A dark shadow fell over her face. Draco Malfoy, too, was dead. The other boy reminded her slightly of Harry with his raven hair, and his cheekbones were charming in a way she had not expected, but there was nothing extraordinary about either of them.

"Quiet down, will you?" Gaius hissed. "Can't you see I'm busy?" he waved at Hermione, who smiled meekly. Arthur turned his gaze to where the old man had pointed and frowned, seeing a foreign beauty sitting there.

"Who are you?" he blatantly asked. He stared at her with slight adoration, as she turned herself away from him. She had not thought that far. Trying to think of what to say, she dropped wryly:"Hermione."

"Hermione what?" he questioned, walking over to her, his wounds completely forgotten.

"I don't know," she replied honestly. She bit her lip to keep her smile away. She stared into his soul with her doe-like eyes and breathed quietly:"I don't remember." Arthur was mesmerized.

"Now, drink up," Gaius handed her a potion. Hermione felt her stomach turn, remembering the taste of what she had created too well, but trusting the old man, she emptied the cup to her mouth. It was no pumpkin juice, but the flavour was not too bad. However, it still made her choke a little and while she was coughing, she was sure it would not stay inside her.

She was wrong, although she managed not to lose grip of the clay mug, as she bended over. Images swam in front of her eyes and she felt blood rush to her face. Her body was adapting slowly to the change, but having fallen too far made her feel even weaker than she had expected.

"Merlin's beard, that tasted awful!" she exclaimed, returning the cup. Gaius looked at her with a raised eyebrow, as if questioning her sanity. The girl continued smiling without a doubt.

"I don't have a beard," the brunette piped up helpfully. Hermione's eyes turned to him in confusion and as the pieces slowly started to fall in place in her mind, they widened in unpleasant surprise. She bit her lip in ineffable shock and raced her mind to give her a way to save herself.

"I didn't mean you had," she said feebly. "It's difficult to explain." She leaned against the table and smiled, closing her eyes. She felt drained, as if there was no magic left in her. Thinking about that, she was certain that was the case of her exhaustion.

"Is there any chance I could borrow a room?" she murmured gently, looking through her eyelashes. Prince Arthur allowed his eyes to gaze over her heart-shaped face and pink lips. Nearly all colour had faded from her cheeks, but there was something in her smile he couldn't put a finger on. Then again, Prince Arthur was not known as highly intelligent. However, he was still kind at heart, despite him often being compared to his father.

"Merlin!" he ordered and the servant knew immediately what he meant. As Arthur stormed off, the youngster followed, asking various questions about Hermione's placement. The prince chose not to answer and Merlin was back in a jiffy.

He gave a cheeky smile at the girl in elegant dressing and decided to offer up his room for her, knowing they both would face dire trouble, should he have taken Arthur's order in a way he hadn't meant it. Hermione didn't resist, as he offered his hand as support, when he led her up the stairs to his rather messy room. The girl didn't comment on it, for as soon as she laid on the covers, she was in a different land again, dreaming of her friends back home and falling into the vast darkness.

Merlin eyed the peculiar woman with undying curiosity. He felt a weak magical presence around her, but it soon died out, as if it had not been there at all. He shifted her body, placing her in the middle of the cot. Then, he lifted the blanket of the ground with magic and let it fall all over her.

When he left the room, he did not know that the girl who was asleep had begun regaining her powers and would soon be called to an audience with King Uther. Nor did he know that the girl's unconscious mind had started plotting again, reminding her of everything she had learned about Merlin, the greatest wizard of all time.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I still own nothing. **

**Chapter two:** In which we meet Genevieve and learn of Hermione's decisions.

"_You were merely wishing for the end of pain,_ the monster said. _Your _**own**_ pain. An end to how it isolated you. It is the most human wish of all._" Patrick Ness, "A Monster Calls"

Hermione awoke with a jolt. Her breathing was hitched and she was covered in cold sweat, which she wiped from her face with the sleeve of her gown. It was dark and she was alone in the messy room. Memories flooded her mind, reminding her of how much she had gone wrong.

When she had first read about Aqua Vitae, she had been sceptical. Whoever had been stupid enough to break a time turning hourglass, had certainly not been in an adequate state of mind, but the more she had looked at the words on the yellowing parchment, the more possible the idea seemed to her. It was Harry's death that gave the final push. She had followed the instructions that had been written with a shaky hand, knowing that the idea, in itself stupid, was probably her only chance to escape from the painful reality. She had, for the lack of better explanation, offered her life in exchange for a better future – a future where her friends could live. The downside to it: she was still alive.

The downside to the downside: she was in the era when Prince Arthur had not yet become a king, in the era no one really knew about and Merlin was too young to have become the greatest warlock. Furthermore, Hermione was unsure of her magical abilities – had the travel zapped her powers from her?

She groped for her wand, finding it in her dress' inner pocket. She brought it out and watched morosely the reminder of her locked-up life. She swished her wand, muttering the incantation to illuminate. The room lit brighter than she expected it to and she whispered the counter spell, aware of the dire circumstances she was in. In the darkness, she transfigured her heels to shoes fitting the time period. At least her wand was still in working condition.

As she laid on the uncomfortable cot, her mind was striving for a solution. She had given her first name – she had to continue to be Hermione. If she chose to be someone of the higher social class, the king could easily have it checked and she'd be exposed. Telling anyone was not an option either, for she'd definitely be executed. She could continue pretending she had amnesia, but how would she explain her nightmares, should she have any? A plan started to form in her mind. Perhaps Lady Luck would be on her side.

Then, there was the complication with Merlin. He was definitely hiding his abilities, like she should do, but how good could he be in occlumency? She bit her lip, trying to remember how old the skill was. Her memory was alert, perhaps betraying, relying to a legend she had heard as a child about how the warlock had won a battle, by predicting the moves of her opponent. As a firm non-believer of divination, she identified it as occlumency instead. If the wizard looked into her mind, he would certainly be able to tell her lies from truths. Hermione was not good at keeping up the invisible walls.

And Prince Arthur. The girl sighed in content. The man was in the dreams of each and every muggle friend she had had. He was gorgeous and although Hermione could not deny his incredible looks, she was a little sad to realize he was a royal prat by the looks of it. Still, she had fantasized about him far too much to be discouraged by such a fact. How could she leave, if such a man was in existence?

Besides, creating another portion of Aqua Vitae was impossible. She had no other time turner and if she even had one, fracturing her memories once more would most likely leave her a real amnesiac. She would have to stay – maybe she could help out Gaius? She doubted the man used any magic in his medicaments. She would have to ask him.

Another sigh escaped her mouth. It felt terribly good to be away from all the ruckus, to breath air that was not soiled with blood and as terrible as it made her feel, she was happy she could enjoy such peace. She rose from her bed and exited the room silently, as if knowing not to disturb the sleep of the men behind the door. Gaius laid on the cot she had used before as a seat and Merlin seemed to have fallen asleep at the table over a beautifully illustrated book. She smiled fondly, passing him to blow out the burning candle. Without hesitation, she removed the overcoat and draped it over his shoulders. She wouldn't want to be the cause the warlock caught the cold.

The night air was crispy. The streets were empty and she walked down the alley without a care in her mind. The ancient city of Camelot was enchanting. Everything seemed completely foreign and old, compared to the world she had come from. The path to down town was smooth and following her earlier trail was easy.

The place she had landed had been cleaned up. She had probably bled a little from her head, for under throughout inspection she had mentally given herself, she had found her hair damp near her nape. Nothing on the street indicated she had ever reached the ground there.

Hermione inspected the place with curiosity, knowing she might have brought something else along from her world. If she had, it ought to have been cleaned up along with the mess she had caused. The well was not too far from it and when she reached it, she remembered the fountain in the Ministry of Magic. She dug inside her beaded bag, which had slipped unnoticed by her saviours, and brought out a Galleon.

"For good luck," she whispered and dropped it into the silvery water. The water wavered in the distant moonlight, as if her wish had been heard. She turned away from it, only to be faced with the blond woman who had been there to witness her fall. She looked tired, but she pumped up water into a small bucket.

"Are you feeling better?" she asked, not looking at the dazed girl."I heard Gaius took you in. He's a good man." She leant on the well and gave a weak smile.

"I'm fine," Hermione replied."I'm Hermione. Thanks for saving me." She was unsure whether she really needed to be saved, but common courtesy required to appreciate the efforts nevertheless. Making friends in this world did not seem like a bad idea either.

"My name's Genevieve, but everybody calls me Vivi. Nice to make your acquaintance, lady Hermione," she curtsied, making the brunette laugh cheerfully.

"It's not yet confirmed I am a lady," she sighed."And I doubt it will ever be. I'm not sure being one would suit me." She assumed Vivi had heard of her loss of memory as well. The woman gave her another weak smile.

"You look tired," mentioned Hermione, taking the bucket from her pale hands. Vivi tried to protest, but the girl had none of it:"Consider it a returned favour," she said."Where to?" Vivi led her to the castle, returning to the kitchen she had worked for years now. Besides her, there were few people there, but everyone seemed to be working busily.

"Thank you," Vivi said curtly, taking the water from her."I should get back to work. Can you make it to the chambers yourself?" Hermione nodded, watching the girl get back to her chores. It was apparent she was only a nuisance there, so she excused herself and exited the room.

She took her time walking back to Gaius' living quarters and marvelled at the beauty of the castle that didn't exist in her time. On her way, she came to face a few of the guards, but none of them said a word to her. It seemed, everyone had heard of her already and she wondered how long exactly she had slept.

Gaius and Merlin were still fast asleep, when she entered, a gleeful smile lighting up her face. She lighted up the candle she had put out earlier with a flick of her wand and admired her surroundings for a moment. She sat down next to Merlin and carefully stole the book from under him, opening it up from a random page.

It was filled with information about herbs, but Hermione could recognize the handwriting instantly. It was the same hand that had written the instructions for Aqua Vitae that had written this book. She turned it around and frowned, seeing as no name had been written on the first page of it. She shrugged, turned back to the middle and begun to read.

Merlin's bedroom stayed empty for the whole night. It was only in the wee morning hours, when Gaius stretched and woke to the cold room and the girl reading next to his apprentice. The only sound in the room was the girl's even breathing and the boy's quiet snores. Next to Hermione, four of the court physician's treasured books were placed in an uneven pile. The girl looked to be heavily thinking about something.

With the turn of the page, Hermione raised her head, having heard the man move about. She gave a kind smile and then returned to the book once more. The words gripped her tight just as they had done before, providing her knowledge and escape. She continued to read until Gaius snatched the book from her and put a plate with some fruit and bread on it in front of her.

"Courtesy of kitchen-maid Genevieve. She was afraid you might not have eaten," he said, starting to put away the books to where they belonged. He looked over the titles to confirm Merlin's magic book had not been among them. Hermione broke the bread in three and offered a piece to the man, who politely declined.

"I insist, Gaius," the girl smiled, pushing the plate towards him."I'm not that hungry myself." The truth was, her bag with enlargement charm had a few days' nutrition packed in it, and she wished for no food to go to waste. Gaius finally accepted and Hermione turned away, smiling sweetly at the sleeping boy.

"Any idea when he'll wake up?" she questioned, earning a chuckle from the old man. There was no answer, only a boy stretching and Gaius reminding him he was already running late. Hermione laughed brightly at his bewilderment. It was a new day in Camelot and she felt brilliant.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I still own nothing. Thank you for reading this. Thank you for the reviewer. Also, sorry for ditching yesterday and it would be nice to get reviews today - happy birthday to me!**

**Chapter three: **in which there is death and everlasting kindness.

_"The most difficult thing to read is time. Maybe because it changes so many things."_ Erin Morgenstern, "The Night Circus"

"I've made my fair share of potions," Hermione explained energetically, pounding the herbs in a mortar. "When I was a kid, that is. My mother, she was a physician much like you, so whenever there were people needing the medicine, I was left with my older sisters, who aided her." She had cast a spell on Gaius, whose doubting look had nerved her, when she had slipped and started blabbering about herself. Now, Gaius was convinced bits of her past had started to return.

"I remember a lot of nuns, so at some period, I must have stayed at a convent...It was innocuous there, when everyone was suspected of sorcery," she smiled to herself. There was a knock on the door and she looked up, curious as to who was there."I'll go get it." She put the mortar on table and hurried to the door.

Gaius examined the powder carefully. It was nearly flawlessly made – too flawlessly, if he dared to say so himself. He looked at the grinning woman, who looked a little confused, when Morgana's maidservant introduced herself. Then, her eyes went wide, as if not believing who she had met. It was obvious she was suspicious.

"Uther wants to see her," Guinevere declared, when Hermione stepped out of the room."I don't think it will take long. We'll be back soon!" In her hands were flowers and the witch breathed in the pleasant scent.

"Nice to meet you, Guinevere," she said, trying the name on her tongue. She had never expected the famous queen to rule beside the Once and Future King to be a servant girl. What else would be different from the stories she was told as a child? She was precarious about relying on the legends, which proved to not be as informative as she'd hoped them to be.

"Call me Gwen," the maidservant said."Have you remembered anything? If not, Lady Morgana mentioned she is in need of another maid. I'm sure she'll offer the place for you." She didn't notice the terror that reflected from Hermione's face, hearing the name of another famous performer of witchcraft. Why was she there as well?

"I think I'm going to explore, where I might have come from," said Hermione, deciding it would be safer, if she left the snake pit, before her magic was revealed. Despite having lived as a muggle most of her life, she still found some actions easier after use of magic, for example cleaning herself. Using an easy Scourgify saved her so much time and as she loved to keep herself clean, it wouldn't do to stay in town for much longer."I might have a home somewhere. My parents must me worried."

"I'm sure they are," Gwen agreed, smiling kindly at the woman. Hermione returned the smile with equal kindness, though her eyes glimmered with worry."Here you go!" Gwen opened a door, earning a reproving look from her companion. The woman gave a comforting laugh, before showing Hermione in.

There were many people in the room, she noticed. To her relief, Prince Arthur, whom she had already met, was included. She curtsied gracefully, thanking her parents in mind. By no means was she clumsy, but the constant jokes about her having to curtsy in front of a king one day were peculiarly helpful for the unusual moment.

However, before she could say a word, a man burst into the hall. He bowed quickly, but elegantly, to which the king motioned him to step forward. The stranger spoke quickly, although Hermione could understand perfectly, what he'd been trying to say.

A child had died in the village. Gaius, who had been sent to look at the marked body, could not deny it was most likely the result of sorcery. Hermione, who noticed the old man slipping in, bit her lip and took a stand near the servant girls. Genevieve was one of the nearest one and the girl remarked how pale she was.

"What's happened to the child?" Uther asked, agitated by the idea there was a sorcerer in town. Hermione tried to reason in her mind: not Merlin, not her, probably not Morgana, because she was not yet powerful enough by the looks of it. In all honesty, the lady looked more terrified than anyone else in the room.

"I don't know, sire," Gaius replied. When Uther started asking questions about the dead, they were nearly always directed at the court physician."The child was found dead in his chamber, marked with a blue rune over his heart."

"Why didn't you report this to me?" the king continued questioning and Hermione guessed the question would have gone on with "earlier," but she didn't open her mouth. Enough fictional characters had found their way to execution by disagreeing with the king."What have you concluded, Gaius?"

"The cause, most predictably, was sorcery," confirmed Gaius the suspicions of many.

"Arthur!" King Uther bellowed. Arthur came forward, giving a slight bow to his father."Conduct door-to-door searches. Increase your presence in the town. Double the guards on all the gates and lend the physician your servant. We have to find this sorcerer and quickly."**[1]**

Arthur followed his orders swiftly, giving the commandments to the guards at bay. As he passed Hermione, an encouraging smile accompanied with a wink greeted her. She was thankful for it, for the bubbling excitement had started to replace itself with horrifying dread.

"Now, if I may, sire," Gaius' voice was firm, but admiring."About the woman, who fell from the sky yesterday..." With that, he caught the king's attention.

"Miss Hermione," the physician introduced, as the girl stepped forward into a perfect curtsy. She kept her eyes on the ground, until the king allowed her to look up.

"I've never heard of a woman falling from the heavens before," he said with suspicion.

"My lord," Hermione felt disgust saying the words, for they reminded her a lot of Lord Voldemort and his followers."I come from the borderlands. A hippogriff, a magical creature that obeys only it's owner, was ordered to take me away from my home town. I had made an enemy of a sorceress, whose lover had eyes for me." She repeated the story she had conjured up in her mind during the night."So when I was picking herbs for my mother in the forest, the creature captured me and flew off. From the heights, I saw three days and nights pass." Her voice wavered, despite the Gryffindor bravery she was showing by lying to a ruthless king.

"Until it dropped me here, to the city of Camelot," she finished with a sheepish smile."But I'm afraid, sire, that this is all I can remember."

"I'm sure you can stay in Camelot for a while at least," he stretched lazily. He waved her hand towards Morgana, who gave the girl a friendly smile. Hermione shuddered at it in her mind."Lady Morgana has just informed me that she would do well with another maidservant. Dismissed."

"Thank you, my lord," she curtsied again, following the etiquette and left the room, after the King had retired to his chambers. She was unsure who to pursue, but her conflict was solved, when Genevieve took her by hand and dragged her along.

"Was it you?" confronted the woman as soon as they were alone. Hermione looked utterly confused. Vivi sighed and clarified:"Was it you that killed Thomas?"

"What? No!" Hermione was bewildered by the mere thought of having caused a tragedy of a child's death."What in Merlin's name possessed you to think it was me?" she probed.

"Not many dare to wander the streets at night," shrugged the woman."It was easy to conclude... But what has Merlin to do with it?" Genevieve had often heard Merlin's name mentioned in the kitchen, but it was mostly Guinevere, who had had the honour of aiding him.

"Merlin?" Hermione bit her lip, realizing she had slipped up. The force of habit was difficult to break, but with the individual existing near her, she had tried to minimize the casualities."I just.. Well, he.. You know," she grinned absurdly."His name is so weird. I mean, not in a bad way, but just... So unusual it makes you want to use it in whatever you say." Genevieve gave her a doubtful look.

"Thanks, I guess," shocked them a voice behind Hermione. The girl swan around and gasped, as she faced the man in question. Merlin was wearing the wide smile she had become to believe was his trademark.

"Merlin!" she exclaimed, before bursting into laughter. "You scared me!" she accused him, making Merlin smile even wider.

"Gaius has ordered me to show Hermione around the Camelot," he explained, after earning a question from Genevieve, who nodded and after saying goodbyes to Hermione, hurried off to work.

"Thank you for lending me your coat, " Merlin said to her as soon as they were left alone in the corridor. His cheeks were tinted a pale shade of red. He remembered far too well waking up to the soothing scent of fresh peppermint and vanilla, which had leaked into his dreams for the soft material that had been used to make the cloth. He'd been reluctant to leave it behind, when he had to rush to Arthur.

Even now, the sweet scent filled his nostrils. Hermione gave him one of her kindest smiles, happy to have done something great. It gave her immense amount of satisfaction to help people, because it made her feel appreciated.

"Come on then!" he grinned back. Hermione's smile affected Merlin more than he wanted to admit. He'd seen her beauty and known her kindness, but it was nothing to make him as flustered as he was. There was something about her, about the way her eyes lit up at anything he said and how her smile radiated the warmth he'd never encountered in his life. It seemed she never tired of the sheer love of the world.

If only he knew the truth: that Hermione was blinded by his company, for he _was_ the greatest wizard to walk the earth and she had been called the smartest witch of her age.

"What would you like to see first?" he questioned. Hermione, having seen everything in the moonlight, shrugged and allowed him to lead. He showed her everything and she gleefully accepted the knowledge. When, in the market, they encountered Prince Arthur and the guards, the royal one raised an eyebrow at Merlin, who had eyes only for Hermione.

Hermione, however, was moved at the sight of a little girl crying. The flowers she'd bought with the little money she had were pushed into the hands of the prince, as she hurried to the child. Arthur looked completely baffled by her actions and turned to gave her a lecture on how to treat his royal highness, but the view before him made him stop.

The woman was kneeling on the ground, dirtying the gorgeous dress she was wearing. He could not make out the words she was saying, but her gentle voice seemed to calm the child. She wiped away her tears and kissed her forehead, promising to braid her golden locks as soon as she stopped crying. The child quickly stopped and Hermione rose, only to take a few blossoms from the bouquet Arthur was holding.

It was her mother, who had taught her to braid like that. She was nimble and her fingers worked fast. It was soon the child head was as charming as that one of a little princess. Mary, for that was the child's name, hurried to see how she looked from the mirror inside the house, where the raid was going on. Satisfied with the way she looked, she ran out to hug the stranger. Hermione smiled.

"Thank you," she said to the prince, collecting her flowers from the man."They're beautiful, aren't they?" She said, mainly to herself, but Arthur agreed nevertheless. He leaned backwards, only to hit himself with a pan hanging from the roof. While Merlin laughed, Arthur cursed.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked, hesitatingly reaching over to touch his head. She was tentative about touching him, but Arthur didn't push her away."Let me see."

"I'm okay," the man tried to protest, but Hermione was having none of it.

"You're bleeding," she stated. The handkerchief she had transfigured from a piece of parchment under the cover of night got stained with blood, as she gently dabbed at the wound. Arthur stared at her face without a word.

"You'll survive," she declared, when the bleeding stopped. After giving him another smile, she returned to Merlin, who was more than happy to continue the excursion she had interrupted.

1 – altered quote from S1E3 -"The Mark of Nimue"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I still own nothing. Still am sorry for ditching a day. Still wish you'd drop a line :)**

**Chapter four: **in which Hermione feels homesick and is stranded with Prince Arthur.

_Destiny has two ways of crushing us - by refusing our wishes and by fulfilling them._ - Henri Frederic Amiel

The pair moving around the town had finally reached the borders of it. The girl stared into the fields with slight resentment. Something stirred within her, but she forced herself to smile again. For some reason, the fine grounds recalled a memory in her mind of Hogwarts' huge property and she was reminded of the beautiful evenings in late spring when she and Ginny and her best friends had sat together, revised and just simply talked.

"It's beautiful," she whispered sincerely, but there was no happiness in her eyes. Merlin, as if sensing the change in her mood, took her hand in his. He gave it a tight squeeze, making Hermione smile a little. However, the smile was stern and forced. She retrieved her hand with an apologetic smile and stared into the distance. A breeze of wind, warm as the day, passed them and made her shiver. The gravity of her own decision was suddenly clearer than it had ever been: she would never see them again, she could not return.

"Are you okay?" Merlin asked carefully. Hermione shook her head with a light smile.

"Just a bit dizzy," she said."I feel like I've been here before." Of course, she knew that was not the case, but if you lie – be believable. "It feels so familiar." She had learnt it the hard way, after being caught sneaking an extra book out of the bookshop. Her mother had been awfully angry with her, when she had simply widened her eyes at the shock of being caught. Needless to say, something like that never happened again.

"Shall we go now?" The girl turned with a grin. Merlin almost would have believed it, if it weren't it did not reach her eyes. He grinned back, grabbing her hand and pulling her along:"Come on then!"

They reached the main street within minutes, but Hermione was out of breath. Laughter, that had been hitched in her throat by the sudden jolt, burst out and as she gasped for air between the giggles, she realized that the shock was what she'd really needed. She looked up to thank Merlin, but he was already grinning from ear to ear.

"Thanks," she muttered, staring at the ground, feeling indebted to the sorcerer. In her world, she was hardly ever indebted to anyone. On the contrary, it was her who held the gratitude and unasked returned favours from many who she had helped with school work.

"No problem," the boy grinned. He watched as Hermione looked around her, smiling sincerely again. Suddenly, horror spread over her face as she turned to Merlin and whispered in terror:"My flowers!" The sorcerer did not understand what she meant, until she waved her empty hands around."I've lost them!" she exclaimed, turning around on heel to march back the way they had run. She must have dropped the bouquet on her way. She was certain she'd held the flowers by the field.

Merlin followed her without a hesitation. They walked back a few hundred meters, when Hermione suddenly came to a stop. Her shoulders slumped and she sighed in disappointment. The young sorcerer looked past her and saw a young woman walking down the street with the beautiful flowers that had previously been Hermione's. She was thin and looked near starvation, but the smile on her face as she walked with a small sway in her steps made Hermione envious. She was in love.

Merlin, seeing Hermione's struggle to move on, was about to go and inquire about the bouquet, but Hermione, realizing her selfishness, grabbed her hand and pulled him away. Her eyes did not look away from the flowers, but she made no attempt to get them back.

"Beautiful flowers!" she called out with a smile on her face. The woman halted and looked over, returning Hermione's smile. She said nothing, but continued on even happier now, if that was possible. The teenage witch did not regret her actions - if she wished, she could conjure a bouquet fancier with a flick of her wand, but that was not necessary.

"You're very kind," he whispered in her ear, making Hermione jump. The girl chuckled and waved it off. She was sure Merlin would have acted the same way. Merlin himself, however, was not so sure.

"Come on!" the boy had an idea."There is still one place I haven't shown you." Hermione, curious to his new energy, nodded excitedly and they were on their way to the forest Gaius picked most of his valuable herbs.

The first thing Hermione noticed was how many flowers there were. She was mesmerized by a meadow, not too far, which Merlin said he'd found when Arthur had decided to go hunting. Seeing Hermione throw herself on the carpet of blossoms made him feel funny in the stomach, but as the girl laid there, looking into the tree crowns, he felt like doing the same. The minutes passed without neither saying a word. Hermione felt good lying on the soft ground like that and Merlin was taken by the witch before him. He would not admit it to anyone, but for a moment, he felt as if she was the magic and magic was her and if he could not be with her, he could not be at all.

"She's a sorceress!" Merlin exclaimed, bursting through the door into Gaius' workrooms, only to be faced with a shocked Prince Arthur.

"Who is?" he bellowed, ready to go after the person Merlin was talking about. The manservant froze, afraid he might have just done something incredibly stupid.

"Ah, don't listen to him, sire," Gaius said, not moving from the mortar. He was grinding herbs for another pitiful soul."He means miss Hermione, as in he has enchanted his heart. Poor fellow is in love with our beautiful visitor." He shot a warning look to the young sorcerer, who shrugged with a profound blush on his cheeks.

"You stupid lad," Arthur walked over to his servant and ruffled his hair."It's nothing to be ashamed of! Hermione is a kind lady."

"I.. I'm not in love with her!" tried the man denying, but his blush deepened even more. Love was a touchy subject for him, because with each and every girl he met, he could never be sure on who to trust with the greatest of his secrets. However, he was sure telling Hermione would not change a thing. There was simply something about her, perhaps the strong magical aura he'd felt when they were at the meadow.

"Don't forget you have to clean the stables today!" The Prince reminded Merlin and the boy was sure it was slightly because of jealousy he did not want to show to the court physician, making Merlin chuckle a little, before he realized what the prince wanted him to do. When he started to object, the future king was gone and Merlin was left alone with Gaius.

"What was that about?!" the physician exclaimed furiously."What in king's name were you thinking, you idiot?" Merlin was aghast. Prince Arthur did not visit Gaius' chambers more than necessary, but he then realized the prince might have been looking for Hermione. It was obvious to the attentive manservant that the king's son had taken a liking to the girl as well.

"Now, what is it about Hermione being a sorceress?" he questioned, emptying the mortar's contents into a sachet.

"I swear, Gaius, I felt such power from her, the magic.. it was different from anything I've ever felt before," the manservant said quietly, trying to catch any eavesdroppers should there be any. There were none."I don't understand her motives."

"Are you sure?" the court physician doubted Merlin's words. Hermione had been kinder than most of the women in town and definitely not too egoistic. When he expressed his opinion about the girl, Merlin could only nod along, earning another suspicious glance from Gaius.

"I swear to you," Merlin repeated."She is a sorceress, but I don't think she means any harm." He was terribly excited about the possibility of her being a user of magic like him. Gaius shook his head, unsure what to say.

"She could be the one who killed young Thomas," he pointed out, but Merlin was sure she was not the murderer. However, he knew in his heart the possibility still existed, as long as the real sorcerer wasn't caught.

"No, Merlin. I don't think she is, either," Gaius said, before leaving the confused sorcerer to his own devices.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked, but Gaius would not reply. His eyes were filled with worry and when he finally chose to speak, his words were filled with malice:"The child who was poisoned was carrying an amulet," he paused for a moment."It bore the marks of the unknown sorcerer, a man who has only recently decided to show action."

"And you've no idea who it is," Merlin supplied in frustration. His thoughts wandered back to Hermione, who was now aiding Lady Morgana in whatever she needed. Hermione had insisted on helping the woman as soon as they'd gotten back from the forest. She had picked flowers: not too many, but enough to compliment her and Lady Morgana both.

"You're right about that," Gaius said, turning back to grinding the herbs.

While the two were discussing the probability of Hermione being and not being the sorceress they were looking for, Hermione was obliviously working the tasks that needed to be done. She'd sent Gwen away to help in the kitchen, for she was more familiar with the tasks that needed to take place before the luncheon. Hermione busied herself with the chores like dusting (it looked as if the room hadn't been dusted for ages) and changing the laundry. She cleaned up the withered flowers and replaced them with the ones she'd picked with Merlin.

She was sure the sorcerer might have noticed the magical power leaking from her. She'd let her occlumency guards drop. It did not worry her, but it gave her a tiny fright. More than that, she was impressed her shields had been able to stay up for so long. It was only a matter of time ever since she'd arrived there. How anyone believed her story about the witch and her lover, she was not sure.

"Do you need any help?" It was Guinevere, who smiled gently from the door. Hermione shook her head and gave a vibrant smile:"No, thank you! I'm almost done over here."

"Prince Arthur was looking for you," the maidservant whispered with a scheming grin on her face. Hermione worriedly looked around to see if anyone had heard her. For a moment, her heart dropped in fear of having been discovered. Merlin must have told!

"Was he really?" she made herself sound doubting in order to maintain her facade. If Merlin hadn't told, she'd be walking into the trap herself!

"I heard Lady Morgana tell him you were here," the girl shrugged, entering their mistress' room. Hermione shook her head in disbelief, but soon, the man she'd dreamt of as a child stood in front of the door, blocking them from leaving. Guinevere curtsied and excused herself, Arthur letting her pass. When Hermione attempted to do the same, the prince wouldn't bulge. The girl bit her lip in worry. What was the prince trying to do?


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'm positive I haven't acquired any means to own anything. Also, would you really mind dropping a line for me? I'd love to get a little feedback. Again, I own nothing.**

**Chapter five:** in which a book of time travel proves to be least efficient and Hermione flees the town.

_"Maybe if one person suffers anywhere in the world, we all have blood in our hands."_ - Nicky Singer, "The Innocent's story"

Arthur furrowed his brows, trying to understand what he was doing. Hermione stared at him with eyes as wide as the cart wheels, standing too close for comfort.

"May I pass?" she inquired with a honey sweet smile that made his heart beat faster.

"Why are you so happy?" he blurted, not moving an inch. The girl bit her lip to keep herself from answering. Truth was, it was impossible to not be excited when she had received whatever she'd ever wished for by a mishap. It was as difficult to keep her mouth shut, but there were many times before when she'd kept a secret. Trying not to be a blabbermouth had got easier over the time.

"I don't know what you mean," she said, stepping away from the attractive man. Arthur unconsciously took a step closer.

"I think you know exactly what I mean," he said, finding herself falling into her brown eyes. Hermione smiled and shook her head, as if trying to convince herself rather than the prince."For someone who claims to be separated from her lover, you sure are too happy." The girl did not recognize any suspicion or anger in his voice, but in case she was about to discovered, she groped for her wand, knowing that a memory charm would do the trick. It did not look like Prince Arthur had told anyone else.

"I think," he said, taking another step closer, trapping Hermione between himself and a wall."There is no lover. I think you made him up, because..."

"Because?" Hermione urged, trying not to laugh. It did not fit in her mind, how the man could doubt the existence of a lover and not her story in general. Arthur seemed to realize how dumb he'd sounded and backed away, hiding his blush by looking away. He did not reply.

"You're right though," the girl whispered, touching gently his hand."There is no lover. But there is someone special to my heart. He's far, too far for me to reach. It is difficult to remember his face." She was not sure whether she was talking about Ron or Harry, for longing for both of them had become great over the hours. Despite Merlin's successful attempt to cheer her, she had started to feel down again as soon as she was alone.

"Someone is indeed waiting for me to return," she said, turning away. In fact, the whole world waits for my move. The smartest witch of her generation should be the one to defeat the dark lord after her comrades had failed.

"I'm sure you'll be able to go as soon as you've gathered some strength," Arthur murmured. His voice was husky. Hermione's touch sent electric tingles down his spine and he was pretty sure it had to do with jealousy, knowing the girl would probably prefer Merlin over him. She did not seem to be a girl to agree to live as a queen.

"Thank you," she curtsied, finally excusing herself from the prince. She escaped the room with a beating heart, confused about herself. Her alliance was to the magical world. She should not care about the man, who would be the one to permit magic all over the country in order to not execute his best friend and manservant. Although, the fact itself made her smile. She'd had a private talk with the Once and Future King. There was no doubt there was something to all of it.

When she returned to Gaius' chambers, borrowing Merlin's room for once more, she felt immense guilt. She took a seat on the cot with her legs crossed and dug her hand into the beaded bag. She wished she'd chosen a different bag - with a bigger opening, so that she could see what she was looking for. However, the beaded bag had been the only one to suit her with almost anything she wore. She could always carry it around and no one would question it.

The first book she dug up was one of her muggle novels, which she could not bear to leave behind. With the next one, she had the same luck, resulting her going to another stack. The first book of the second pile was the one she'd been looking for. "Time Travel" was the general title to it. She had stolen it from the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic in their fifth year, because although she knew how dangerous it was, she was captivated by it.

There ought to be something she could do for the people who'd be worrying about her. Perhaps a spell, a way to reverse her potion - she knew it was impossible. Aqua Vitae was one of the three irreversible potions which use was restricted, almost completely forbidden by the government. Much like the damage the three unforgivable curses did, the damage of the three drinks would be difficult to heal. It was as if Lady Luck was on her side, trying to help her out, that she found the instructions.

"The dangers of time travel," she skipped the first chapter, having studied it all in her third year. Time turners were risky and she felt like she should know everything about them."Aqua... How is it possible that the book looks so much emptier now?" she sighed. Of course, the book was the same. There had not been too much information about time travel written, for the ones who could write it were probably stuck somewhere in time.

"Rifts in Time and Space," was the title Hermione found appealing. She'd read the chapter countless of times, knowing it almost by heart. It occurred, sometimes the universe cracked and if a wizard apparated at the point of where the rift was, he or she would end up on the other side. However, finding a rift as such on purpose was very unlikely.

She threw the book into the bag and laid down, deep in thought. There was a slight chance that Merlin could cast the charm to point her in right direction. Perhaps he could even come to aid her in the war. After all, Hermione knew she could not return to her own time permanently. Aqua Vitae had made the past her present, a place where she now belonged. In her own time, she would go insane.

It was as if the gods hated her and wished Voldemort to succeed. However, Hermione did not believe in a god like that, but trusted her own judgement more than anyone else's. If there was any chance to save her friends, she would do it even if it costed her life. Besides, Wendelin the Weird had proved efficiently that even if she were to be burned at the stake, a simple flame-freezing charm would save her life, until she figured out what to do next.

It was the banging of a door that woke her from her reverie. She shot up, as if it was a death eater raid and grabbed for her wand, immediately hiding it, remembering where she was. She heard Merlin explain fervently explained to Gaius how the sorceress had been caught while placing the amulet on another child, who was now in dire need of help.

"It was Genevieve!" he exclaimed in utter disbelief."Could you imagine? It was sweet Vivi!"

Hermione froze, recognizing one of the few names she'd come to remember from her time in court. The kind servant who had been there to aid her. There was no way this girl was a sorceress - she would have definitely realized it, if she were. It seemed that Merlin was agreeing to her.

"They're sending her to the pyre without a trial," his final words were said in a whisper, as if knowing Hermione would dread to hear them. But the girl had opened the door the slightest bit to hear his words better.

A jolt went through her heart, hearing the screams and denials of a maidservant ready to be burnt alive. Her feet moved on their own, throwing the door wide open, as she ran down the stairs. Gaius saw the tears flowing from her eyes. She was crying for the friend she would have had, but who was now doomed. Genevieve, the hard-working young woman, who dared to walk the midnight streets and steal food from the kitchen for her. She could not not cry.

When she reached the place the burning was to be taken place, the guards had already fastened Vivi to the stake. She saw people, but they all blurred. The vision of Prince Arthur wrapped his arms around her, trying to give her a comforting hug, but Hermione only had eyes for the crying woman. Tears were flowing like rivers. Hermione already missed her smile.

"No!" she yelled. Arthur slapped his hand over her mouth and tried to restrain her, looking as frustrated as the girl was. The fire was lit and Hermione saw it spread with incredible speed, wanting to lick the bare feet of the one sacrificed. The girl looked around and saw a hooded figure leave. Immediately she knew a charm had been cast to quicken her death.

An innocent worker was condemned. The noble heart of Hermione Granger ached for her and in the spur of a moment, she threw herself out of Arthur's embrace. She did not froze to hear Uther's speech of law and how the only appropriate punishment for sorcery was death. She drew her wand, screaming through her tears:"You're about to murder an innocent woman! How dare you!" She'd always been told to be a little hotheaded, when it came to protecting the weak."She? A sorceress?" a hysterical laugh escaped her mouth, as her fiery eyes fixated on the Royal Highness."I'll show you sorcery!" she yelled, casting a quick charm to release Genevieve from the ropes.

"Aguamenti," she poured water over the flames and stepped over the burning wood, hugging the woman, who was frozen in fear.

"Seize her!" she heard Uther yell, turning around and concentrating on the three D's. When she looked at Arthur's face, he saw shock and disbelief and utter belief in betrayal. "I'm sorry," she moved her lips and apparated herself and her friend to the woods she'd been in the morning with Merlin.

"How did you do that?!" Genevieve exclaimed, as soon as they were away from the people. She looked a little sick, but even more so afraid of Hermione. The young witch gave her a smile and shrugged.

"I have a few tricks up my sleeve," she said, transfiguring her dress into pants like Merlin's and a comfortable shirt that wouldn't look too out of place. With a look at her feet, she tutted herself and turned to the girl:"What should they look like?" but without an answer, transfigured the shoes into ones suited for travelling. With another smile to the jobless servant, she picked up her bag that had fallen during their landing.

"I couldn't let a friend be killed," she explained, getting a move on."You should come with me, you know. They are bound to look for us. We should get a head start, before someone figures out the route we took."

"You are sorceress!" Genevieve accused, making Hermione laugh. In confusion, she stumbled to her feet and followed."Was it you that killed little Thomas?" she asked, stopping. The woman looked over her shoulders and shook her head gently."Do you know who did it?"

Genevieve was smart enough to realize that if the witch hadn't saved her, she would be dead. There were hardly any people that would have risked their head for a stranger and by saving her, Hermione had exposed her true nature. She'd shown magic in front of king Uther himself.

But she had harmed no one. She'd simply saved her. She couldn't believe someone like that would kill a child. Although she knew not of a witch's wickedness, she doubted Hermione would be one of the story-sorceress'.

"I'm afraid I've seen them, yes," Hermione said hesitatingly, offering her hand."Do you want me to transfigure your clothing?" Genevieve nodded, feeling the coldness of the darkening forest. Hermione nodded thoughtfully and after turning her white plain shirt into proper clothing. After an idea occurred to her, she broke a branch from a tree, after asking the permission from wood spirits, she transfigured them to shoes. Genevieve looked at the magic, mesmerized.

"How did you learn it?" she whispered in awe. Hermione smiled, remembering what Albus Dumbledore had told her in her first year.

"I didn't learn it," she said kindly."I was born with it. Although I must admit, books helped me along with it. There was a school for people like me from where I come from," she explained, walking comfortably further away from Camelot."But I'm afraid that school is no more." She had noticed the curious gleam in the stern blue eyes and felt the need to suffocate it. She did not want to explain how not everyone was not born with it. Harry had told her about how his aunt Petunia had written to Dumbledore, insisting she is suitable for Hogwarts as well.

"It was a long, but not unpleasant time," she whispered, missing her friends now that Merlin was definitely not going to help her. In fact, she realized, she might just have made an enemy of the greatest sorcerer to walk the earth.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Still own nothing.**

**Chapter six:** In which chaos ensues and Hermione and Vivi settle down.

_"We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another."_ - Veronica Roth, "Divergent"

Camelot was in chaos. It was no surprise to Gaius, when the prince frustratedly arrived, causing destruction on his way, Merlin behind. The betrayal on prince's face was indescribable, even though Merlin was equally shocked. The girl had shown no fear, using spells the sorcerer had not known about.

"So it was probably her instead," Arthur speculated, kicking a bucket over while at it. Merlin quickly put it up again, looking worriedly at the prince."Who killed the child."

"Hermione would never do that!" Merlin exclaimed, knowing he would only cause the prince's wrath to himself."At least, I don't believe she would." Arthur sent him a dark look. He himself had hard time believing the words, although what other choice was there? If it wasn't Genevieve, who else could it have been except for the girl?

"She used different kind of magic," Merlin tried to defend himself."I've never heard of that kind of magic being used before. Besides, she was waving some kind of stick around. Maybe she was just a distraction..." Although the idea sounded stupid to him as well, he did not regret for a moment saying them. The prince's mood only darkened, knowing the girl must have used a wand. He kicked the bucket again, agitated by the mere thought of it.

"Sire, would you mind releasing your frustration elsewhere?" Gaius suggested. Prince Arthur gave him a dark look, but followed the suggestion and left, shutting the door with a loud bang. It was obvious he didn't want Merlin to tag behind.

"What was that?" Merlin said to himself, terribly frustrated about Hermione's actions. Words in an unknown language, different from the Old Religion. She'd been so careful with her spells, concentrating only on the innocent woman. Perhaps she'd really enchanted them all with her words while the whole town was asleep and been the one to kill Thomas.

Gaius just shook his head, providing none of his usual comments. He gave a curious glance at the boy and shrugged. After all, Hermione had provided him with incredibly useful information.

* * *

Hermione and Genevieve had stopped for a break. The witch, remembering her search for horcruxes with Harry, used warding spells with great pleasure, knowing how difficult they were. Some words she could only say in her head for them to take effect, some that she'd learnt from school. It was difficult to keep up them all, but she knew a simple spell to divert people's attention would work.

However, it was not only people she wanted to avoid. As she went to sit down with Genevieve, she used a stick to mark their safe area, before attacking the food she'd been able to take along from her own time. She only dug up some fruit and food that could easily be found in their current time, leaving all her energy bars and candy hidden in the bag. She doubted Genevieve would eat them, unless she explained and she was not up to another educational round.

However, Genevieve was already doubtful enough, preferring to not touch the food. Hermione looked at her with pity. The girl did not want to trust her and there was not much she could do to change her opinion. In a way, her fear scared her, after having the guts to stand up for a nearly-stranger. Genevieve, who was harbouring conflicting thoughts about magic that had nearly gotten her killed and then saved her.

"So, what do you suppose we should do next?" Hermione asked, tearing bits of the chocolate chip bun she was eating. Half the time, the bits fell into the grass, half made it to her mouth. Genevieve did not reply.

"Come on!" Hermione whined, frightened by her silence."Say something! I know this might be difficult, but I really have no ill intentions." The woman still refused to reply. Hermione sighed and shrugged.

"Well, if you're not going to say anything, I will!" she declared angrily. She stood up and looked at the once-maidservant."There is an empty castle around somewhere. A place abandoned, because you people think there are vengeful spirits living there," she shivered, remembering the Bloody Baron, the ghost of Slytherin house."It's rubbish for all I believe. Then, we're going to settle in there. Clean up a few rooms and get food supplies. Of course, you don't have to come along, but I suspect the king's made you a wanted person as well." She heard cheerfulness in her voice, because by the likes of it, she would not have to stay alone."In any case, we should not stay here too long. I have no idea how long I can keep the wards up." Of course, that was a lie. It was incredible how many Slytherin traits she had that she was not aware of. Cunning and clever were definitely in her description when it came to her world, but to deceive people as easily as she did was surprising.

"I'll come," Genevieve said without adding anything else. She grabbed an apple from the blanket Hermione had laid for them and got to her feet. She looked unconvinced, but decided. It was not difficult to get her to cooperate, Hermione decided. With a slight smile, the witch brought out her wand and packed the items in her bag. That done, she whispered gently:"Point me!" and they knew where to go.

They arrived after two hours of silent walking. The castle was as Hermione had expected it to be: dark, empty, abandoned. She could feel the evil in the air, but not every place had stayed evil. She reminded herself of the Black house on Grimmauld street and how most of the habitants had been evil to the core. It seemed similar to that one, only greater and more terrifying. She sighed, before making her way towards the gate.

Genevieve was hesitant to follow, but she did anyway. She could not wield a sword nor protect herself significantly, but Hermione was a sorceress. If they were to be under attack, she could use sorcery and Genevieve was certain the woman did not want her dead. It was the best shot she had.

However, no attack occurred. As Hermione lead through the doors, she used her wand to get rid of spider webs and some dust. Her spells were said offhandedly and that was how Hermione intended them to be. There was hardly anything to do in this time, before planning for the future and cleaning the place up seemed time-consuming enough.

The throne room was empty, when they reached it. Giggling, Hermione could not suppress the childish aspiration to play princess. She transfigured her clothes into the dress she'd worn originally and with a royal intent, she took a seat on the ruler's throne. Genevieve gasped and knelt in front of her, promising to assist her in whatever she chose to do.

It was only then Hermione remembered the legend. The never fulfilled prophecy of a queen who overthrew the world in order to be with her lover. She had been a no one girl, before taking her rightful place on the throne of Fayhaven castle. She had declared war on Camelot with only her servant girl on her side. The young queen was known as the Ever and Never Queen of Albion, the lady of the Lady of the Lake.

"Merlin's saggy pants!" she jumped up and stared at the girl, who refused to stand up."Is it possible you know the story?" She had certainly not expected it."Rise," she added, when the girl did not move.

"Yes, milady," she whispered in awe."Everyone knows it, for it was declared by the Great Dragon upon his release. That is, everyone outside the Camelot. When the dragon escaped, I was staying in a village to aid the injured."

"The Ever and Never Queen of Albion," Hermione murmured."There's not a chance it was me the dragon spoke about," she grinned at the sweet girl."Really, this is rather impossible." Unless she was really meant to go back in time from the beginning and fulfil the expired prophecy. She shrugged and looked away.

"This place is such a mess!" she exclaimed, blowing the dust off her dress."We should get it cleaned up. If we're ever to have any visitors - and I hope we do - we would want them to enjoy themselves." Transfiguring her clothes once again, she grinned at the girl and skipped down to bring water from the well that had not been in use for decades.

The bells of Fayhaven started ringing and as if a spell had been lifted, Hermione turned to a lifeless city she remembered was her own. When she blinked, it was gone and she was alone again. She heaved the bucket from the deep well and smiled, seeing a frog swim in it. Drinkable, she thought, remembering what her father had said. If a frog swam in the water, it was pure. **[2]**

* * *

"Here you go," she picked the slimy animal up with her hands and dropped it into the well."I'll let you be. Keep the water clean, please!" she added, hearing a small splash and a thankful croak. She levitated the heavy bucket back to the castle, where Genevieve was already waiting with a cloth to start working. Hermione doubled the fabric and with a grin started working her way towards the throne. Even if she was not the princess, she could still be a friend.

It was Kilgharrah that Merlin sought help from that night. He called out to the dragon, expecting him to come to his aid, but the night was as still as it was. When he called out again, instead of the cryptic aider, a silvery creature ran to him. By closer look, he could recognize an otter in it and he was sure it had been from Hermione.

"Hello, Merlin," it spoke with the girl's voice."Sorry, if my patronus frightens you - I'm sure you haven't encountered one before. I apologize for the ruckus I must have caused in town, but you ought to know a few things. I hope you keep them a secret from many, although I see no reason you should, unless you count our brief friendship. Vivi and I are staying in the Fayhaven castle, should you wish to visit us. Please give the information to Guinevere - Vivi said they are great friends. Furthermore, I must ask you to apologize to Prince Arthur on my behalf. My hotheadedness must have caused a lot of misunderstandings, which I hope we can solve in the nearer future." The otter paused slightly and Merlin could imagine Hermione smiling gently."I'm sure we have many things to discuss in private, young warlock. I hope you can find some time for me in your life." After saying that, the patronus dissolved, leaving the wizard alone.

It took all of him to stop hurrying to Fayhaven immediately. It surprised that Hermione knew about his secret, but he was happier now. He returned to his chambers with a grin on his face and jumped into the cot. He inhaled deeply, savouring Hermione's scent in it. If he was lucky, it would stay for one more night. In the morning, he would speak to Lady Morgana's maidservant and if the prince had calmed, he'd tell him about the girl's message as well. Gaius was already asleep, but Merlin knew that although Hermione had not mentioned him, she'd expect him to be included in the secret.

"You're a strange girl, Hermione," he muttered into the pillow. To inform someone whose alliance was to the royalty of Camelot was a daring act as it was, but saving Genevieve had been even more so.

* * *

Hermione sighed, looking out of the castle's windows in longing. The sky was lit with familiar stars she'd learnt in astronomy. It had easily paid off, when she looked into the sky now. It was breathtaking and she knew that although the maidservant was asleep, she would like it. There were many times she had probably looked into the night with same sense of freedom Hermione had longed for when Bellatrix had tortured her. To be free from pain. That's why she could not sleep. Staying guard was not necessary, but she did not want to relive the terror, while there were only two of them there. She would scare Genevieve - and the girl had been scared enough.

**[2]** A legit fact, by the way. The frog's slime helps to keep the water pure. Thought you might want to know.

**A/N2: Would you please kindly drop a line for me as well? :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you for all the follows and reviews - also, I still don't own anything. Furthermore, sorry for not updating any earlier. I wrote this chapter into my phone, stealing bits of time from my busy schedule. I have a research paper due in a few weeks and I'm hopelessly behind. Don't expect me to update more than once a week :)**

**Chapter seven:** In which Hermione shows Merlin some of her magic, Morgana shows her true nature and Arthur is frustrated.

_Lucky stars above you,  
Sunshine on your way,  
Many friends to love you,  
Joy in work and play-  
Laughter to outweigh each care,  
In your heart a song-  
And gladness waiting everywhere  
All your whole life long! _

~ Irish blessing

It was nearing dawn, when brown eyes noticed a traveller among the trees. Her sleek body leaned out of the porthole with grace inherent to a young royalty, as she tried to catch a glimpse of the explorer. When he stepped to the sunlight, she saw it was the young warlock. Her heart quickened in excitement. She had spent a long time learning the origins of charms, but it had greatly surprised her when she found how little spells were not of Latin origin, her curiosity had increased. Now, she could get all her answers. It was such a good thing she could!

Her dress was vibrant red, reflecting her house in Hogwarts. It was revealing and the woman was sure it would catch the man's attention. Showing off her femininity in school was not favoured, but here, she could be a little Slytherinish. It had been Draco, who had made her aware of how much the male population paid attention to looks. She would do anything to learn. Even if it meant listening to her arch enemy's advice.

She nearly called out to him. It was so tempting, but she stopped herself with a scolding. What was she thinking, wanting to call out to him? She was still unsure she could trust him. Many of her fellow soldiers in war had fallen in the arms of Death because of trusting too easily. She would not make the same mistake.

* * *

Lady Morgana could not sleep. Her mind was filled with anxious thoughts about the woman who had caused a scene in front of the castle. A witch! Who would have thought? Morgana had had her suspicions. She rose from her bed and dressed quickly. How foolish Guinevere had been to leave her! There was no doubt she would not leave the castle.

Her blue dress was alluring in the enchanting darkness. She loved the night, the fear it forced upon others. It was definitely the best time for magic. With a singsong voice, she began calling the mist. It came silently, lulling everyone it touched to sleep. Morgana knew it consumed a lot of her power, but she believed it was vital. She could not let anyone leave, before she talked to her sister. Especially not Merlin.

The stupid servant had been so open with his idiotic infatuation. If the woman called, he'd probably follow like a lovesick lost puppy. It disgusted Morgana, but she was sure Hermione would definitely side with her. In order to create a kingdom, where magic was allowed, many witches and warlocks had sided with her already.

Her and Morgause. The thought of her sister made Morgana smile in the mirror. She would have to know as soon as possible. The woman grabbed her cape and exited her room. The guards were sleeping in the hall and the woman gave a dark laugh, whenever she noticed anyone of importance asleep. She could kill anyone she wanted now, even Uther. She would, if Morgause didn't have a plan. If Uther wasn't important to her.

She knew she would find Morgause waiting by the forest and when she reached it, she saw the woman immediately. Morgana was taken by her. The woman greeted her with wide arms.

"Sister!" she exclaimed in a silvery voice."I heard something happened! Are you okay?" She was genuinely worried, but Morgana dismissed it quickly.

"I don't have much time!" she whispered, gripping onto her sister's arms."They might wake any moment now. The girl I told you about, she's a witch!" Morgause looked slightly impressed."She might even be a powerful one. She protected the other girl." She hardly concerned herself with the worthless people like the one Genevieve was, but Hermione's actions had left a mark nevertheless.

"Do you think she'll join us?" Morgause inquired softly to witch Morgana nodded. She looked anxiously around, before letting go. "I must go now," she whispered, caressing her sister's face.

"Take this," Morgause put a silver ring in Morgana's hand. The witch looked at it with a loving smile. The ring was a relic she'd been looking for a very long time. She would soon see how useful it would prove to be.

* * *

It was as if nothing Hermione did seemed to work. She had transfigured her clothes three times, each time into a more revealing one, but the prince's manservant only had eyes for her wand. How many spells had she shown him? "That's right," she thought with a groan."About fifty at least." Merlin didn't take his eyes from her once.

"So basically," she honeyed."That's about it." Draco had toned it would be the quickest way to get answers from a boy, but she strongly doubted him now. Merlin's mouth just stayed shut. In fact, he hadn't spoken for a while now.

When she jumped off the table she'd been sitting on, she transfigured her shorts and the tight blouse into jeans and a jumper with a sigh, feeling more comfortable that way. She turned to Merlin. His ears and cheeks were bright red in embarrassment and that's when it hit her. She'd been so consumed by what she'd been explaining that she forgot to pay attention to the boy.

"Any questions?" she added after a thought. She was smiling, as she tied her hair into a ponytail. It felt like back in Hogwarts with the wind blowing through the hallways.

"Where did you learn all this?" the man asked, leaning unconsciously forward over the table. They were alone. Hermione knew that unveiling the magic of another to anyone would be like treason towards them.

"I had a few teachers," she gave a prepared answer. Hogwarts would not be founded any time soon. It would be foolish to claim something before it was even existent. However, that did not apply to people, because people lived and died

"Four of them, each a bit different from others," she continued."The wisest people I have ever known." She didn't know when she'd begun to trust him. The comfort of another magician made her feel warm inside. It was magic that had began to feel like home after her long studies at Hogwarts, despite her muggle origins. She was a witch and would always be that.

"It is so different," Merlin was in awe, eyes sparkling with excitement and, although neither would admit, slight lust. The boy grinned cheekily.

"What about your magic, Merlin?" her silvery voice was filled with curiosity. Merlin shrugged, adoring the way his name sounded from her lips. He would like to listen to it time after time after time. Hermione gave the drooling boy a disappointed look. It was a pity the greatest warlock of all ages was _such_ a dolt. Of course, that would only prove to be very advantageous to her.

Hermione sighed softly. She looked serious for a moment, the excitement of a new era slowly wearing off. The time already spent had brought to light many disadvantages of the centuries before her time. The lack of proper showers and toilets did not mortify her as much as it would have the girls she had shared a dorm with. As a child, Hermione had already encountered places without modern restrooms while travelling and had thanks to that learned a few tricks from her mother.

"There is something else I wanted to show you," she said, suddenly grinning. She threw him a Galleon, which he regarded with curiosity. He felt magic oozing off it, a powerful one as well. Hermione noticed the wondering look in his eyes.

"A teacher of mine bewitched it," she explained, wittily not mentioning it had been her who had cast the charm. She showed him an identical coin."Look carefully!"

The inscription on it changed itself, although all the woman had done was point her wand at the gold. He'd been shocked by the pure metal, but now he looked impressed.

"That's the way I'll let you know when I want to see you next," she confessed, avoiding looking at him. Her cheeks had tinted red."It will grow warm to touch, when changed." Merlin looked at the gold, realizing it was now his.

"Thank you," his voice was husky. Hearing it, he coughed, ears flaming red. Hermione was too flustered with herself to notice it.

"I, I think I should go," he muttered. Arthur would be furious to know he had avoided his duties again. "Thank you for inviting me," he passionately avoided looking at her, trying to hide his sparkling grin. He could not stop smiling in her presence.

"You're probably right," she murmured back, standing up to send him off. She felt nervous for various reasons. It would be good if he left.

She touched gently his arm to give a proper goodbye. The fingers sent an electrifying shock crawling up her skin and when she removed her hand, the echo of the feeling of his skin lingered. It felt strange, but pleasant still. Merlin's ears reddened. He had experienced it too. When he turned his back to the girl, a wide smile spread over his face. Hermione looked at the receding back. A frown stayed on her face. She'd given so much and received so little.

Simply put, Arthur was confused. He found himself daydreaming of Hermione all throughout the day. It angered him, but he could not stop. He'd talked with Gwen about it, only to receive a mysterious smile and words of encouragement. And only when he'd wanted to send Merlin off to do something completely irrelevant and disgusting job just to relieve his own frustration, he'd realized the servant was missing.

But he felt too annoyed to look for him. Images of Hermione being kind to people and the scene she'd created mixed in his head. Then, after grunting in anger, he decided. If she apologized to him, she would be forgiven.

Done that, he wondered if he'd see her ever again. Suddenly, the door opened with a loud bang.

"Merlin!" he bellowed, jumping off from his bed. The unexpected sound made his heart bump faster. The servant looked at him sheepishly. "Where have you been?!"

"I was picking herbs for Gaius," Merlin lied. Arthur raised an eyebrow: Gaius had told him he knew nothing of the servant's whereabouts. Merlin had fallen in.

"I was with Hermione," he reluctantly confessed. Arthur looked at him as if he'd gone bonkers. Had his servant hit his head and imagined himself with the girl? Even he found it difficult to believe.

Merlin felt it difficult to hide the truth from the prince. Just like Genevieve felt thankful for her spared life, an unspeakable bond had been made between Merlin and prince. That's why he entrusted him with the secret.

"So you were with Hermione," he drawled, giving him an accusing look. He would have liked to see the frizzy-haired beauty himself."Go clean the stables!" he ordered, feeling the tension build up. Merlin rolled his eyes, but went off nevertheless. He could explain to him later. For prince to react that way to very important information meant he wanted to keep it a secret. Arthur's same-intentional order was completely unnecessary.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **Done with the research. Now, if you'd like an input of yours, apart from any other suggestions, would you rather it was **Merlin/Hermione** or **Arthur/Hermione** fic? Also,** I own nothing.**

**Chapter eight: **In which drinks are spiked and dead bugs tell no tales.

"_I will show you a love potion without drug or herb, or any witch's spell; if you wish to be loved, love." _- Charles Lindberg

There was something attractive about the sadness. Maybe it was the drive for company: that she needed it, so she went down to sit with the enemy. Because she knew he needed her too.

The bitter flavour of cinnamon rested in her mouth. She smiled sweetly at Arthur, who explained the king how the witch had already fled the town. Camelot had nearly returned to it's everyday life. Like usual, Morgana was stuck with eating late breakfast with the king and his son.

"The sorceress must be caught," Uther demanded, taking a sip from the goblet."She's an enemy of Camelot!" Morgana tried not to smirk, knowing the threat was much closer than the king thought. She had listened in on Merlin's conversation with Arthur. By the looks of it, the cunning girl had twisted both young men around her tiny finger. If only she could meet Hermione herself.

"Uther won't forgive you if he finds out you've collaborated with a sorceress," she leaned over and whispered in the prince's ear. Of course, she would keep the knowledge to herself. It could prove to be beneficial, using the prince's servant as a source of information, if Hermione agreed.

Arthur did not reply. He raised an eyebrow, as if asking what she was talking about. Morgana laughed quietly, rising from the table. She spoke pleasantly about returning to her chambers to prepare for any event the king had planned for her. She could hardly care for it, much less pay attention to his words. He never revealed anything useful, unlike the royal dolt he'd produced.

"I'm going to look around again to see, if the witch might have left same trails," the prince said, keeping his dignity to the fullest. He grinned mockingly at Morgana, who simply gave him a cold shoulder. When he exited, Morgana smiled to herself. The bug she'd dropped a few minutes earlier had successfully managed to clung to his clothes.

Hermione was having a fitful sleep. She twisted and turned restlessly, unsure whether she wanted to wake up or stay longer in a nightmare, which was similar to her memories, her own world.

**Dead end.**

She turned around and stared at the death eaters in fear. Her hands were going through her pockets with inhumane speed, hoping to find something, precisely her wand to keep them at bay. Things fell from under the hem of her coat: sparkling candy wrappers, colourful crayons, vial with green unidentified liquid, a mirror. It was an overflow of shiny trinkets, but it didn't stop them from approaching.

She leaned against the high wall, gasping and terrified of what was to come. Her fingers finally wrapped around something small and metal. A portkey, she realized in relief. She'd been able to save only one of them, when escaping from the ministry. Which one was it?

She racked her brain for the answer. The enemy didn't stop. They had already cornered her on the street, she had no escape. If only..

She brought the key to her eyes. It shone under the gaslight, giving off the eerie sparkle only few portkeys did. It was one of the silver keys that Romulus had entrusted with them.

One of the portkeys that had a _permanent_ destination.

But it didn't work. _That man_ raised his wand and laughed in her face. There was nowhere to run..

"Hermione!" a voice called."Hermione!" It was distant, but it shook her from her frozen state. She grabbed her wand and was ready to counter attack, when something hit her on her face.

It was only a few drops of water, but it was too out of context in the dream, where the sky was nearly all blue. She woke with a jolt and was faced with the worried face of Genevieve. She sat up and gave a smile that was supposed to be reassuring.

"The prince is coming," Vivi said to the witch. Hermione's eyes widened as her hands flew to her hair. Who was that girl? Memories surged through her brain with a pain strong enough to destroy the best of swordsmen.

"Let me get ready then," Hermione smiled, pushing away the covers. Her cot was nothing fancy, lacking the comfort of the modern world.

When Genevieve had left, Hermione did the most unHermionelike thing she had ever done. With a wave of her wand, she had changed her appearance to one of a prettier one. Her hair was enhanced to look better, purer with a glimmer of red like a Weasley's. Of course, there was nothing unreal about her look. She just looked well-kept after a perfect Scourgify.

What was different, was the way her hand went under her pillow and brought out a vial with mother-of-pearl sheen liquid. Any educated witch could take a guess and not be wrong - the strongest love potion in world, the Amortentia. Although she had sworn not to use it, she didn't resent herself. "Desperate times need desperate measures," she reminded herself. As she smiled to the mirror, looking as pretty as ever, she descended from her bedroom to the quarters she and Genevieve had cleaned up.

Merlin and Arthur were right there, both waiting for her impatiently. Their bickering could be heard throughout the castle, reminding Hermione of herself and Ron. She gave a soft laugh, causing the men to stop and look at her. She quickly slid the vial into her sleeve, her innocent look never leaving her face. Despite looking pure, there was still strength written in her eyes.

"Good morning, friends," she greeted them, taking a seat on one of the chairs around the table."I'm surprised to see you both here."

"The idiot over here couldn't keep his mouth shut," the prince patted the servant on his shoulder."You're lucky it was me he baffled to."

"An army of buffoons would have been easier to defeat," Hermione shrugged unladylike. She could take on the whole army of muggles, if she wanted; but she could not take the risk of killing her parents' parents' parents' parents and so on. In the end, she'd end up killing herself.

"To what do I owe the honour of you being here then?" she questioned, giving Merlin a curious look. The manservant grinned, as prince Arthur did his best to not look frustrated by it.

"Curiosity," he shrugged, not daring to admit the longing to the girl's face. Hermione was unsure how to reply. Instead, she turned her attention to the prince, offering him kind words and the sweetest of smiles.

"Would you like to join me for breakfast?" she offered, taking the grumbling of their stomachs as a yes."Be right back," she giggled, hurrying away from the hall, still gripping the vial in her hands, to the kitchen.

Preparing food the muggle way was an easy task she'd learnt years ago. Breakfast, the most important meal of the day, was something her mother had wanted her to learn and now, she was thankful for it. Furthermore, as a child, there was no such thing as pumpkin juice on her menu, nor orange juice, for the taste it left after brushing teeth. She'd become used to apple juice which wasn't entirely too difficult to make from the apples she'd taken along. None of the other people would have to know how she'd used magic on the fruits.

But which one of the men to charm? She chuckled, pouring half of the vial into one of the glasses. She knew well to who to offer it. There was hardly any choice in it, she could not raise too much doubt nor create another chaos like the one she did in Camelot. Merlin was halfway in love with her anyway.

She smiled again, tying up her hair. It was a dark smile, something the rift in time had caused. She felt so scared, so frightened, but so powerful.

She shook her head to leave the trance and picked up the tray, wondering where Vivi had gone. Weren't they friends? All Vivi had been doing was work ever since they had arrived there. Hermione had begun wishing for house-elves, so that her friend would not become such a workhorse. There was nothing bad about doing the chores, except if you did them all the time. She made a note in her head to talk with Genevieve and keep her eyes open for the magical creatures. She had enough money to pay for their work.

"Here you go!" she put the glasses in front of the men, who eyed them suspiciously. There was another glass, which Hermione took a sip from.

"Apple juice," she exclaimed happily, putting the glass down."Damn!" she cursed, her eyes widening. She circled the table to the prince."I forgot to put out the fire," she whispered, kissing his cheek. Merlin's ears flushed red in embarrassment of the scene in front of him. Hermione's hand clung to the prince's shirt."Give me a moment," she laughed, retreating. Arthur stared behind her in bewilderment.

Merlin used the moment to empty a small bottle in her glass. When Arthur looked at his way again, he'd put away the bottle and looked as busy as ever.

"What are you doing, sitting here, you useless servant!" he exclaimed."You should be helping her!" As he said that, Hermione reentered, not as happy as she'd been before.

"You haven't started eating yet?" genuinely surprised, she seated herself on the opposite of them, and took the first bite of a bun."It's the best when it's warm!"

Hermione had recognized the spell from which the animagi had evolved from immediately. After all, ever since she'd captured Rita Skeeter, she'd become more aware of the bugs. If this wasn't a bug under a spell, she would be Ronald Weasley.

She dropped the nasty creatures in a mortar and begun killing it with a passion. Who'd put the tracker on it? She felt already anger growing for the man or woman. If they knew Arthur was going to meet her, it would be like a direct declaration of war. If she hadn't noticed...

She shivered at the thought of what would have happened. She would have probably been killed in her sleep, if the sorcerer was more advanced than she was. She was sure Merlin had already realized the wards were up, when they'd arrived.

Hermione, having sat down on the wooden chair, started eating without a worry. Merlin observed her take a drink and gave an inner sigh of relief when she showed no recognition of being given a potion. He felt a little bit guilty of his actions, but there was nothing he could do now.

"How's life in Camelot?" she questioned, smiling as sweetly as before. She waited for the reply, which didn't come. Merlin's glazed eyes stared at her, drool dripping from his mouth. Hermione suppressed a giggle, when the young warlock reached under the table for her hand. She gave a tug to it, making the boy's face go up in flames.

"My father is still looking for you," Arthur replied, paying no attention to his lovestruck manservant. Hermione gave him an encouraging smile for him to continue speaking."He's having every place checked. He might arrive here."

The girl nodded in understanding. It was to be expected, knowing the times.

"What about Gaius?" she was curious. She had duplicated all of the man's books and they seemed to be very informative about the old magic. She would be able to learn it all with a little bit of help.

"He's.." Arthur hesitated for a moment."Who are you really?" he asked instead, staring deeply into the girl's eyes. She bit her lip.

"My name is Hermione," she repeated what she'd said before. "And I sincerely want to go home. There is really nothing more to it." As much as she wanted, she could not lie to herself: she missed the battlefield she'd run from, her friends who were fighting for a world their children could live in. She had never stopped counting the bodies.

"Hermione," the manservant sighed softly, as if the sound of her name would make him feel her presence even closer. The girl shook her head.

"I'm sorry for my manservant," the prince apologized, growing angry at the boy. Hermione laughed and shook her head.

"It's okay. I'm sure it's a.. passing fancy," she said, giggling sweetly, earning the adoring look from both the prince and his servant. For some reason, her laugh seemed inviting enough. Before neither Hermione or Arthur could react, Merlin had pressed his lips on hers.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter nine: **In which the potions show stronger effects, Genevieve is conflicted and a little boy learns of something important.

"_But there's a story behind everything. How a picture got on a wall. How a scar got on your face. Sometimes the stories are simple, and sometimes they are hard and heartbreaking. But behind all your stories is always your mother's story, because hers is where yours begin."_ - Mitch Albom

"Did you do it?" Gaius immediately asked, when the servant had returned.

"Did I do what?" Merlin echoed back, eyes glimmering with mischief. The court physician shook his head disapprovingly.

"I did it," the young warlock grinned."Do you think she loves me?"

"What?" Gaius raised an eyebrow at the dreamy drooling fellow. He was staring into nothingness, a stupid grin on his face. He hit Merlin's head, causing him to topple over."You idiot!" he exclaimed unsurprised. It was easy to understand that he, as well, had been put under an enchantment. A much more dangerous one than the potion they had given to the girl.

"Hermione," the boy moaned in agony."Why must she send me away and be alone with that arrogant turnip head!" He fell overly dramatically to the ground. His eyes rolled back and he smiled widely at the physician:"Just kidding." He jumped up and his shiny smile brightened up the room as if he'd found a remedy to all illnesses.

"She said she'll meet me later on," his grin was childish and it hurt Gaius to knock him unconscious. He tied the young warlock up and readied himself to prepare an antidote. If he could not reduce the symptoms, he could no longer call himself the court physician. To each magical potion, there was a scientific remedy.

* * *

Morgause was petting the hair of a young boy, who seemed to be deep in thought. The blond woman was smiling, as if the child was her own, but the boy could not care less. There had been a shift in the air, a new magic, but the two sorceresses had not spoken to him about it. Which was unusual, considering the position he was put to. He spoke through his mind, asking the question from the blond woman.

If he were a cat, he would have purred in pleasure. Morgause's fingers combed his dark hair with care, but Mordred wasn't sure why he felt wrong. In his mind, an image of a woman emerged. She was radiating warmth, although her cheeks were wet with tears. She leaned over her, cooing in a soft voice, cradling.. him?

"I don't really know," Morgause gently replied, tugging his hair. "I don't know who it is." Mordred knew it was a lie, but did not pester for more. There was something final in her tone, the way her blond hair fell over her shoulders like snow. She was a stranger despite her beautiful visage.

* * *

Hermione felt sick. Although Prince Arthur was very courteous, not to mention exceedingly charming, she could not bear his presence for no longer than ten minutes. Every so often, she excused herself and hurried to freshen her up. She shook her head, seeing how pale she was. There was no explanation, unless..

"Merlin," she cursed, looking for her wand. After reading about healing spells, she'd found some useful to her and one of them included a body scan. The piercing charm did it's work and announced it was a quickly-passing reaction. In her time, Fred and George used to sell it in their shop under the name of a jealousy potion. Its' effects would last up to a day, but if it was Merlin doing that, it would take longer to handle.

With a sigh, she decided against taking any countermeasures. After Merlin had kissed her, under the enchantment, she had begun to reconsider her actions. Hermione knew magic was not to be wronged, but she had already begun tampering with the time. There was hardly any chance she'd come out of it alive.

However, she could completely understand the motives of the warlock. After all, prince Arthur just had to be protected. When she'd killed the tracking bug, she had done the same. Now, when they were nearly alone with only Genevieve to pass by occasionally (she had started stocking up for food, despite Hermione's protests), the prince still seemed to trust her completely.

"You're very trusting, sire," she voiced her thoughts, breaking Arthur's rant mid-sentence. He was telling her about everything of Camelot's history and the girl enjoyed it greatly, but the man's undying trust nerved her. "You should be more conscious of yourself!"

The prince chuckled at her words. But within a moment, he became serious again.

"I'm so so sorry for my servant's actions," he said earnestly."If there is anything I could do to make it up for you..." Hermione waved it off. It had been months since she'd been kissed. After all, this hardly counted. It had merely been a small peck which lasted until Arthur ripped the poor boy off of her. Moreover, it was just a kiss.

Despite the conflicting notions, she continued to think about the lingering hot breath on her lips. Arthur paled in comparison. "No," she thought, shaking her head."It must be the fumes." Amortentia was definitely a tricky potion, but she believed herself to be skilled enough to make it. Curiosity like Ravenclaw's led to the bravery. Hermione wondered which house Merlin would be in, if Hogwarts existed yet.

"I've suffered worse," she laughed, thinking of the few previous kisses she'd had. The sloppiness of Ron's lips, the roughness of Victor's."Much worse."

However, her words did not relax his restless mind. Arthur glanced at the now humming lady with immense curiosity. In his eyes, she was so charmingly peculiar that he could not mind Merlin being drawn to her. He'd be more worried if he was not.

"Can you tell the future?" he asked in order to distract himself. Furthermore, he wanted to know if the stories of sorceresses being seers was true. If it was, she would have known she'd meet him. He wanted to know, if she cared.

"I believe divination to be very inaccurate and rather irrelevant subject compared to, for example, arithmancy. After all, our future lies in our own hands," she replied, continuing the clean-up. "It's not like everything is set in place. Of course, you'd think it was, but even prophecies can be rendered faulty." Although there was no pain in her voice, she grimaced at the thought of Harry's lifeless body.

Arthur didn't know how to reply to such honest seriousness. Although Hermione was smiling, he could sense the discussion was closed and not to be opened, unless she herself said so.

"This place is so boring!" Hermione suddenly exclaimed. Living adventurously all the time made her appreciate the moments of peace, when she could read, and although reading was all she wanted to do, it now seemed more like a burden to her. There was too much time for it and too little books. She would soon know them all by heart, go insane with the lack of words.

"Don't get me wrong," she added, when the prince raised an eyebrow at the sudden outburst."It's very lovely here, but it's very different from where I come from." That much was true."At home, my library is bigger and a bit more fascinating. I used to read and research all the time. Here I can't do it or I will soon grow tired of the books, but I don't know what else to do." She could try finding a way home, but she'd dismissed the idea rather quickly. There was nothing waiting for her in the darkness of her present, except the desperate cries of the dying folk. She would enjoy the peace for some more time. Time itself would find a way to return her there, eventually.

"You could always take a walk. Do you have any other servants besides Genevieve?" the prince asked, looking around with distaste. Most of the room was still covered in dust. Hermione sighed and said firmly:"Genevieve is not my servant. She's my _friend_ and I would like to keep it that way. She does help around all the time though." She brought out her wand and flicked it almost silently. The room cleaned itself."You see, I could keep this place refined." With another swish of her wand, the room returned to as it was."But there is much more satisfaction on doing it with my own hands, using my own strength than using magic to it. It is more rewarding to do it without magic. Have you ever tried it?"

"By magic, you mean sorcery?" he asked, avoiding the question. He was pretty certain what would follow, if he said no and as a witch, she would surely see through his lie.

Hermione nodded. "You didn't answer my question though," she said with a gentle smile. Arthur gulped."I take it as no. I was foolish to think you would have. Pardon me for that." Nothing followed. The girl felt like puking and decided that if she applied his strength to cleaning the room, she won't feel any better. Besides, everyone had their own ambitions and there was no doubt a prince would do something he would feel rewarding. She would not push him.

"Would you like me to help?" he offered, but it was clear he really didn't want to do that. Hermione shook her head.

"Nuhuh," she muttered. A bit louder, she said:"Maybe you should go now. I should go and see how Genevieve's doing. I'm afraid she'll work herself to death." Knowing Genevieve would most certainly be in the gardens, she took Arthur's offered hand and they glided towards the exit. It made her feel giddy. It was like during the Yule ball, when Victor had escorted her to the dance floor, except now she was not wearing a beautiful party dress and on her hand was not a famous quidditch player, but a real prince.

"I'll come soon," he promised, when they reached the exit. Hermione let go of his hand and smiled.

"Would you mind keeping Merlin away for a while?" she questioned, not wanting to deal with him either. The prince nodded. He didn't want Merlin around the girl either.

Before Hermione could exit the door behind her, Arthur had her trapped like before. He kissed the left corner of her lips, his mouth almost grazing hers, and as quickly as he had done it, he retreated and left on his horse, leaving the girl startled and in an awe.

* * *

Arthur's giddiness did not leave after being so near to the sorceress. On the contrary, it seemed to worsen his beating heart and put a ridiculously wide grin. He could almost sing.

His infatuation did not go passed by Morgana, who kept her eye open for the bug she'd enchanted. She stopped Arthur mid-sentence and inquired about his search for the sorceress. Arthur shrugged and ignored her.

Morgana was sure: there was no bug. If either the bug had been killed or the spell had worn off, she should have known immediately. Unless the young sorceress had simply captured it and was now studying it carefully. Somehow, the thought amused her. She could imagine the girl in a cold wet cave squatting and staring at the bug, perhaps considering if she could eat it. Although it was nearly impossible, Morgana hoped it was true. It would make her easier to convince.

With a disappointed sigh, she returned to her chambers to send a message to Morgause. Perhaps she knew of an enchantment to locate the young witch.

* * *

Genevieve blushed at the scene she'd seen. Hermione and Prince Arthur?! She had always thought there was something between Lady Morgana's maidservant and the future king. Guinevere would be scared, disappointed, if she were to find out.

Gwen and she had been good friends, when she stayed in Camelot. She felt conflicted, as Hermione was her friend now. She wished them both well, but a talk was in order with the kind lady. She should make Hermione's intentions clear, for the sake of herself and the future of whole Albion.

When Hermione's loud voice reached her, she had made up her mind to take a walk in the forest. Ignoring the call, she escaped to the shadows of the trees and continued down the small path she'd found on the day they had arrived. There were a number of things she wanted to think about.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I still own nothing. Besides the plot, everything is based on BBC's Merlin and Rowling's Harry Potter series. I've also used the original legends, albeit a little. Enjoy.**

**Chapter ten: **In which the little boy reaches the kind woman and some abnormalities occur.

_"She always did like tales of adventure-stories full of brightness and darkness. She could tell you the names of all King Arthur's knights, and she knew everything about Beowulf and Grendel, the ancient gods and the not-quite-so-ancient heroes. She liked pirate stories, too, but most of all she loved books that had at least a knight or a dragon or a fairy in them. She was always on the dragon's side by the way."_ - Cornelia Funke, "Inkheart"

The little boy enjoyed the coldness of the cave, despite his love for the forest air. He took small steps on the green moss, gently, so that he would not leave footprints behind. He had escaped in secrecy, so that he could finally see her, the woman with tears in her eyes.

Mordred's lips quivered in anticipation. It was positively horrifying to leave Morgause in order to meet someone he was not even supposed to look for. He tripped on a broken tree branch. A bird cawed somewhere and he raised his head. The eerie mist continued to spread, making his heart beat faster and faster. "Mother!" he called out in his mind, desperately.

Somewhere, the woman mentioned nearly fell out of her bed, for the sound in her mind sounded very much real.

* * *

Not many had infiltrated her chambers and the angry Merlin was definitely a new sight. The way he had stayed there, probably for hours, surprised her, but she knew he'd make his way to her. Which of course had been the point of her mischief. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. As long as his loyalty was not to her, she'd treat him as one.

"Merlin?" She asked sweetly, rubbing her eyes in a way Lavender had said to be cute. "Ne, Merlin, what's wrong?"

"You drugged me," he said calmly, eyes dark. Hermione smiled timidly and her cheeks tinted pink, although not from embarrassment, but the look he was giving her. "With a love potion," his voice was thick with emotion. She could not define them, but it sent pleasant shivers down her spine. She pulled her chin proudly up and piped:"So?"

"Why did you do that?" he asked, cornering her in. Hermione stepped back, Merlin continued advancing. It was difficult not to let herself fall in the trap and be caught, but as long as there was an open door, she could escape through it.

As if reading her mind, Merlin said the words, which closed the door and locked it. Hermione tried wandlessly alohamoraing it, but the gateway refused to budge.

"Okay, I'm sorry," she smiled nervously. "I'm so so sorry." She circled the room once more, but when she reached the door again, the skinny boy trapped her with his arms. Hermione could have easily overthrown him, if it came to physical strength, but magically it was him who was stronger. He was oozing with the power, towering over her.

"Tell me why you did it and I'll let you go," he offered. His usual goofy grin was replaced with the face of a dark tempter.

"I wanted to test my potion-making skills!" She exclaimed, putting her arms unconsciously around his neck. Merlin frowned at her, but made no attempt to stop her. He gently caressed her cheek with his left hand. "You're lying," he said. Hermione shrugged indifferently. His fiery gaze penetrated her soul. Was Merlin really just a boy she had began to think of as? No, this was the greatest warlock to walk the Earth. She had been a fool.

"Okay. Well, the truth is," she panicked, feeling the warmth of his hand. "Truth is that I..." her voice broke, when Merlin started to lean in. Her hands went limp and her knees wobbled, ready to give out.

"Emrys, what are you doing?" a voice rang in their heads. The pair froze, Merlin's face dangerously close to hers. When he spoke the name of the interrupter, his lips grazed hers ever so slightly. Hermione's eyes were shut.

"Mordred?" She murmured to herself. Recognizing the name, she opened her eyes. Merlin released her unwillingly and turned around. Hermione breathed in relief. She sneaked a look at the caped child. His dark eyes were peaking from under the hood and she could not stay cold to the admiration in them, even if they belonged to the future killer of prince Arthur, should he live to bea king under these abnormal circumstances.

"Hi there!" she squatted next to the child. "I'm Hermione!" She offered her hand with a smile. Instead of taking it, the boy raced into her arms, hugging her tight. He smelled of water and pines. Hermione kindly ruffled his hair, enjoying the freshness he had brought.

The boy was as pale as Hermione, Merlin noted. Mordred was gripping tightly onto the woman, who was now smiling brightly. Merlin could not help but smile at them.

* * *

Genevieve entered without knocking. To her great shock a view of something awfully close to a family appeared, Hermione like a mother hugging a child, Merlin like a father staring at them with a loving smile. She felt embarrassed to intrude, but when Hermione extended her smile to her, she felt like she belonged.

"Would you like something to eat, my child?" She heard Hermione ask. Mordred's eyes widened, hearing them as well. He latched onto Hermione even stronger, breathing her scent drunkly.

"Yes, please," his thoughts entered her mind and the young woman smiled.

"Shall we go to the kitchen then and I'll fetch you something?" She whispered in his ear. Mordred nodded. Hermione looked to Merlin apologetically and exited with the child.

"How did you come here?" She asked him on the way. Mordred clutched her hand in fear.

"Rumours have spread," he thought with clear voice. Hermione sighed. Ordinary for stories to spread, but if everyone got inside her bedroom, anyone could kill her. She had let down her guard.

Mordred seemed less like the son of Morgause in stories. Physical features were different as Well - Prince Arthur and Morgause were both blonds, the child a brunette. If anyone, the boy looked more like Merlin with his raven hair. Who were his parents? She voiced her question.

"I don't know," his thoughts in her mind. It occurred to her she had heard the voice before. "It is a very beautiful castle," Mordred continued the conversation. His eyes were glued to her.

"Thank you," Hermione smiled, handing him a plate with modern-day sandwiches. The child eyed them suspiciously, but when Hermione grabbed one and started eating, he joined. "Where do you live?" She asked, bringing out glasses for juice. Pouring out the drinks, she waited for the answer that didn't come. Mordred looked shyly at the food. Hermione, guessing the case, offered:"You could live here, if you wanted."

It goes without saying Mordred accepted the offer.

* * *

She leaned over the bowl of shimmering cold water, face pale and sweaty from another nightly terror. It was near dawn and she rose from her comfortable bed, her white nightgown making her look ghostly. The first signs of tremendous weight-loss were showing. The girl in the reflection looked exhausted. She'd never looked as worn out during the war. Even the body of a sleeping child next to her eased her mind.

It was obvious that the longing for comforts was growing too strong. She felt sorry for the valuable books hidden in her beaded bag and after weighing it, she decided keeping the place clean would need as much work. With her wand she erased all signs dust and dirt and arranged the library around. Her books of future advancements in magic and sciences were hidden among all others. For certain protection, she cast a spell all over them.

"This place is magnificent," she told Genevieve, who was sitting on the carpet before their fireplace. Hermione had lit the fire, for the coldness inside the castle, but the awkwardness between the two stayed. The woman was still troubled. "Is something wrong?" Vivi shook her head.

"Are you... with Prince Arthur?" She mumbled.

"What?" The witch was baffled. She'd heard the question despite the servant girl's quiet voice. A small smile broke out on her face. "Him and I? Never!" Her warm eyes twinkled, remembering her incident with the prince. "Remember? The Ever and Never Queen of Albion!" She pointed at herself, laughing nervously. Vivi cracked a smile.

"I saw you with the lord," Genevieve confessed. Hermione nodded - she'd suspected it.

"There was nothing behind it. Just fun. It won't happen again," she admitted, not liking how whorish it sounded. "I just want to go home."

"What about Merlin?" the woman inquired curiously, but to this, Hermione didn't reply. Her gaze concentrated on the dancing flames. Her thoughts were racing fervently. She had expected less of the warlock, for there had not been no real sign of his powers being as big. In fact, she could hardly believe the man who'd trapped her was the same one who'd shown him the Camelot.

"Hermione?" it was the voice from the doorway that brought her back to reality. Mordred was standing there, hugging the pillow to him and rubbing his eyes. The woman smiled gently.

"Mordred!" she spoke softly, nearly standing up. Mordred hurried to her, before she could, and the woman let the child sit on her lap. "I'm sorry for leaving you alone there," she said, when the boy stayed silent. Mordred touched her face with his cold fingers, tracing curiously her jawline.

"It's okay," he thought sincerely, her mind reaching out to her. "Would you read for me?" he eyed the book lying next to her and the witch smiled kindly.

"Would you mind, if I read out loud?" she asked Genevieve, who shook her head no. Hermione reached out for the book and opened it, surprised pleasantly by how Mordred seated himself more comfortably. A small chuckle escaped from her lips and she ruffled his hair, before beginning to read. Words echoed in the room, seeping into the listeners hearts. It was almost as if by reading out loud, she could bring the characters to life.

* * *

Merlin's frustration grew after Hermione left with Mordred and Genevieve simply kicked her out for disturbing the lady's beauty sleep. He was pacing around his bedroom that felt incredibly empty without the woman's cheerfulness and bed-hogging. He felt different without her around, slightly empty inside.

Hermione had given him a love drug. But he wasn't clean either? The potions he'd given her were still not fully in effect and one of the two drinks she'd given her was as bad as hers. How could he? The guilt was driving him insane and then he'd just had to go and ruin everything. All he'd wanted to do was to give her the damn antidote.

He breathed out in anger, knowing his plan was probably not the best one, but it was no secret he was not the sharpest compared to Gaius. He thought he'd be sharp enough to deal with it on his own, but the result proved to be dissatisfying. Plus now, he could not ask even anyone. Gaius would take his head if he heard he'd try to make her fall in love with him.

As he was moping around, he did not notice the prince barging in like a madman, demanding attention. The servant realized he'd ditched his duties again, when the knowledge of stables needing to be cleaned was brought to his attention.

* * *

Morgause was angry. Her fierce emotions could not be described with mere words. She was creating a dangerous magic field close to a bomb. How could the little brat have escaped! Had she not taken good care of him? Had she not kept him locked up in the best ways possible?

Yet there had been no sight of him for days. Morgana who saw her sister's despair had ordered the guards to look for the boy, but even they could not locate him. Neither of the sisters could guess his motives, but Morgause had a thought of where he'd be. Mordred had been peculiarly curious about the Ever and Never Queen of Albion.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: i own nothing. Sorry for not posting any earlier, had the exam session and other various reasons. I'll try to be more productive over the holidays. Also, I'm trying to keep the chapters the same length, so it might take some more time during school time (which is nearly over, so yeah.) Review, please!**

**Chapter eleven:** In which Hermione returns to Camelot and Mordred feels unwanted.

_"And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it._" Paulo Coelho - "The Alchemist"

It was a rainy day in this pitiful castle of nowhere. Nothing had changed during these past weeks, but Hermione couldn't shake off the feeling of uneasiness and guilt. A few weeks ago she had visited Gaius, before she realized how the old man was trying to figure her out, and when Genevieve had asked about news, she had lied. Camelot was livelier than ever. Even though Hermione had never witnessed anyone entering or leaving through the woods, there were cracks in her shields and Hermione had always paid great attention to it, as there was always the safety of herself in it. Also, the thought of someone breaking and entering the castle was terrifying, so when she realized what was happening, she allowed that bit of information stay in her mind for a while, before renewing the wards.

She was growing anxious, wishing terribly to have someone familiar to talk to. Homesickness was driving her mad. She'd been with Genevieve for too long, her wards telling her where she was always. She could not tune the presence out – this was the one and only lack of a spell she'd performed.

She even missed Merlin, despite his rather strange behaviour the last time they'd seen each other. Missed Arthur, because he'd somehow always managed to make her smile.

"Genevieve, I'm going to visit Camelot today," she said to her friend, before casting a spell over herself. When Vivi looked at her again, what she saw was two girls: one, the Hermione she knew, and the other, the stronger image was of Hermione with straight red hair. Either way, she looked absolutely gorgeous.

Hermione had chosen red for her hair for the same reason she was going to see Merlin. The feelings of longing for another presence had grown too strong and who else could help, if not her best female friend?

Instead of walking, she apparated to the town, where despite of early hours, life was buzzing. She melted to the crowd effortlessly, moving with it without hurry to the warlock's chambers. Unsurprisingly, she found Merlin still sleeping soundly. Hermione leaned over his face, smiling gently at how relaxed it was. It would be so easy to fall in love with him...

When he finally opened his eyes, Hermione had started knitting out of boredom and knowledge of winter coming. The worst that could happen would be to die of cold. (Here she carefully ignored the fact she was a witch and could use a heating spell.)

"Hi," Hermione meekly said. Merlin looked at her in confusion, not recognizing the red hair from anywhere. After his eyes had cleared, he realized soon that it was Hermione he was staring at.

"You looked better with your hair," he replied with a yawn. Then, as if becoming angry at her, he asked sternly:"What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to make a truce," she said, putting her tools into the beaded bag. She looked more worn out and with a wave of her wand, she returned her hair to normal. The vibrant colour made her feel uncomfortable. Merlin sighed, leaning back to his cot.

"Just when I have a free day," he muttered to himself, but waved his hand for her to continue.

"Well, I'm sorry for.. doing what I did," She decided not bringing it up again would be a decent idea compared to what other she had thought about."As I was saying, the truce.. yeah, the truce." Her focus was slipping and she smiled nervously."I promise I will do nothing, if you continue to... Well, aid me, I suppose."

"Help you with what?" he wondered, still not moving from his bed. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Well, certainly not with going home," she said sarcastically, earning a grunt from the prince's manservant. It made her chuckle, but after he'd sent her a dark look, the laughing ceased and she was back to seriousness."I still wish to return," she added solemnly."It was a mistake, coming here. You might be the only one able to help me." Of course, she tried her best to stay vague in her voiced opinion, but she could not deny the praise. After what she'd seen him do...

"Okay," Merlin agreed easily, grinning at her. Hermione's heart fluttered at the sight of his teeth and without much worry, she smiled back. Merlin, however, had never been angry at her like she'd believed him to be. In fact, the only reason he could not return was the prince's worry he might do something to her. What a stupid idea it was!

"Really?" she asked for confirmation, her childish excitement barely showing through. Merlin sat up and nodded, showing her to the door. After all, it was unsuitable to be for a woman her age to be in the same room with a man in his sleeping clothes; especially, if the man was also her age.

Hermione walked downstairs with a slight smile, her head full of ideas for the day. She had the intention of acquiring a sword, since she'd have to leave the Gryffindor's behind. There were very few ways to strengthen the weapon in magical ways and finding one here would be a difficult task. Perhaps Merlin could offer his assistance in it as well.

There were many qualifications for a sword she could wield. Needless to say, it would have to be of high quality material, which would last long enough - if she could have a weapon that would exist even after the owner was dead, she would be happy. Secondly, the sword could not be heavy. When she explained it to Merlin, the boy was in complete agreement with her. About the looks? She wasn't sure.

Many of the famous swords had had inset jewels and the owner's name engraved on it, but to Hermione, it seemed like a pointless waste of gold. These swords had always demanded attention and their owners often had to beware of lurking thieves and the wrath of their enemies. For that, Hermione did not wish.

"I'm unsure who to ask," Hermione admitted."By any chance, you don't know of any goblins around, do you?" Hearing the creature's species' name, Merlin groaned. Those mischievous beings were one of the many he'd grown to dislike and he would not point her in the direction of one. He'd once accidentally set a goblin loose in the castle and it had caused great trouble.

"I see you've encountered them," the woman observed."And by the looks of it, it wasn't very pleasant. I suppose their rather... different from the ones I've known." The goblins in her time were certainly not pleasant, but she could understand why. However, they had their own respectable jobs in the Gringotts Wizarding Bank and were regarded as equals by many. But Gringotts was a relatively recent thing even in her time with the history of less than 300 years.  
"So, do you have any idea what we should do?" she asked, staring at him with interest. Merlin nodded slowly.

"I think that maybe you should get a regular sword at first," he said contemplating."And then, I could use a bit of my magic on it." He didn't add anything about the dragon. As much as he knew Hermione, he wasn't sure whether or not to trust her with the dragon.

"Then, of course, we should find a blacksmith," the woman stated the obvious. Merlin chuckled. It had been the two of them for hours - Gaius was out of town and Arthur had shown any interest in what Merlin was doing in his free time, although he suspected Merlin had gone to see Hermione, not vice versa.

"There are a few nearby, I could ask around," Merlin offered and Hermione nodded carefully. She knew her knowledge of weaponry was limited and it would be easy for Merlin to ask for Arthur's help, if he wasn't sure how to choose."Gwen might be able to know. Her father was a blacksmith."

"Was?" Hermione said out loud curiously.

"He's dead," Merlin blurted out insensitively. The woman looked him in the eyes with slight worry of having offended him, but the warlock gave her no chance to speak."Where are you really from?" he queried. Hermione froze, hearing the dreadful question. She gave her usual answer, but Merlin shook his head.

"No, Hermione. Tell me the truth, please!" he pleaded, leaning over the table and taking her hands in his. Hermione turned her head away.

"I can't," she admitted."I'm sorry." She turned her head back, but her head was down and she refused to look him in the eyes. Merlin sighed, giving her a squeeze."If I told you, it could change everything." Silence fell between the two and Hermione reluctantly pulled her hands away.

"When should I come next?" she asked standing up. Merlin rose from his seat quickly, his eyes wide.

"Don't go just yet!" he begged."You just got here!" He grinned widely, trying to diffuse the awkwardness. Hermione gave a weak laugh and sat down again.

"Okay," she gave in as easily as he had done before. "How about we talk of magic then?" and they did. They spoke until the sun descended and the world grew dark. It was only when the clock struck midnight, she kissed him bravely again and turned on the spot, looking back at his dazed eyes and a wide grin. It had definitely been a good day, very much so.

* * *

Mordred was angry to find Hermione gone. He understood why it was important she'd go, but he didn't like it nevertheless. After realizing he'd been left with that annoying Genevieve, who could not hear when he spoke with his mind, he had been wandering the castle, frustrated. Hermione had not even left him anything called 'homework' she'd given him in their attempts to teach him to write and read. He hardly saw any point in it, but he admired his future mother's elegant handwriting which took up so much space on the parchment on the tables.

He'd learned all the letters and could spell out some of the words written. From the few he could read, he knew everything already. He knew well the woman was a time traveller - there was no other explanation, and he desperately wanted to tell Emrys, but Hermione's secrets were hers to tell. Even if it ended up Merlin being the one to send her back to where she belonged.

Mordred wanted to scream. No matter how nice, how kind, how loving Hermione was, she had left him alone! Like an abandoned puppy, the child spent the day sulking. There was nothing else to do. Somewhere during the day, following the raid he'd done on kitchen, he went out for a walk and breathed in the nature. It felt like home. If only his parents were there...

When Hermione finally returned, she found him sleeping on the forest floor, covered by nothing but his own coat. She cradled him in her arms and carried her back to the castle. He snuggled closer to her, like any child would do, and inhaled greedily the scent of her. A smile passed the face of the sleeping child and Hermione was warmed by the heartfelt gesture.

She laid the child on her bed and covered her with a woollen blanket, knowing the night might be one of the coldest so far. Then, she proceeded to converse with the terse woman about how her day was. The more days passed, the more guilty Hermione felt for dragging her into the business. However, she was still more than happy to have a friend and if possible, she would definitely find Genevieve a good husband, one that wouldn't work her to death.

There was so much she had to do, so many books to read, and so little time. Guilt seeped into her heart, realizing she'd wasted another day she could have spent looking for a way home.

"Home," whispered something in her mind. "Isn't that the place where the heart is?"


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Curse the disappearing enters in this text. I still own nothing and I humbly wish you enjoy this. Review if you've got time to spare.** **Chapter twelve:** In which Hermione meets the Lady of the Lake and learns the truth about Mordred.

"_I agree with Dante, that the hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in a period of moral crisis, maintain their neutrality"_ Martin Luther King Jr.

It was a beautiful place. Everything was fresh and the air had a pleasant sort of dampness to it. When she opened her eyes in the woods, she knew it was too enchanting to be a dream. Next to the place she lay, there was a narrow path. She followed it warily, although she had no wand to protect her. Dressed in unfamiliar sea-green robes, she trusted herself in the hands of this foreign sorcerer.

The path ended with a lake as stunning as the woods she'd woken in. The water was crystal clear and the pebbles under the surface seemed to be perfectly cut for the reservoir. A woman was hovering in the middle of it. The liquid gave life to her floating hair – for a moment, they wriggled like seaweed, but then she emerged from the depths of the lake. Hermione stared at her in wonder.

"My child," the woman spoke sternly, but in her voice was kindness. It sounded like the sea and Hermione could nearly taste the salt in it. The stranger glided towards her, curly hair falling like water. It seemed she was entirely made of it, old and wise as she were. Hermione could sense it despite the lady's young demeanour. This being was already thousands of years old, if not hundreds of thousands.

"Milady," Hermione curtsied before her. The woman was on the edge of the lake now and she stopped moving. It was hardly ever that she set her foot on the ground of mortals.

"They call me, the Lady of the Lake," she whispered and it was as if a new creek was born and making its way down the hill in hopes of becoming a river one day. "You've been here for too long, Hermione, so I had to summon you. The waters have grown restless. You ought to go." Her words rang in the other's mind loudly, but still softly like the healing water of hot springs.

Out of all the questions Hermione wanted to ask, "How did you know my name?" slipped from her mouth. Lady of the Lake laughed and the young witch again marvelled at the sound of living water.

"You called out to me once," she breathed."Whispered, for luck, when you gave me this." She opened her palm and Hermione caught a glimpse of something silvery glimmering amidst the drops of water. She recognized it immediately."I've been by your side ever since." Hermione stayed silent.

"Now it is your turn to return the favour," the harsh words of Lady Luck did not frighten her.

"How?" Hermione croaked, her throat suddenly dry. She looked up with desperate eyes, trying to find something in the stony face of the woman from a legend.

"Give me your firstborn child," the woman murmured greedily, her visage changing for a moment. Hermione froze in fear for someone stranger. "Learn everything you can from his father, bring that child to me and I'll show you the way to return to your own world."

"What if I won't have any children?" Hermione dried to divert her attention. She hadn't planned having any. There was simply no way she could – at least in this world – and she certainly would not leave them behind. It was an impossible idea. The Lady laughed.

"My dear, but you will," she whispered reaching out to touch Hermione's face. Her hand was cold and wet, leaving drops of water behind on the lonely strands of hair fallen on her face. "After all, I've already given him back to you for the time being."

"Mordred?" Her lips whispered in disbelief. The Lady smiled gently. It was a sign enough that Hermione had guessed right. "Does he know?" The unfaltering smile answered her. The witch gasped in shock. That would explain why Mordred was so reluctant to leave her side. "But why?"

"Time will tell," the Lady spoke returning to the centre of the lake, where the water was believed to be the deepest. Hermione watched her go without moving an inch. As the woman descended into the clear water, it became harder to tell where the woman ended and the lake began.

But Hermione did not awaken from her dream. The shimmering water calmed. Only then she noticed no birds were singing and the life that could have been there was non-exist. She turned swiftly on her step and started walking to where she'd woken. If the Lady could not see into her mind, she would not show her any of her tricks in the realm of an immortal.

The beautiful white flowers that had been blooming withered. Hermione looked them with longing, desiring to pick up at least one of them, but the blessing of the Lady was leaving the place. Soon, the forest itself would die and the pureness would be no more. The bed of moss she'd been lying on was melting into mud.

Hermione stopped. She stared at the slew and entered it, head held high. After all, the Lady of the Lake had said she'd give her a way back and if she guessed it right, drowning herself in the puddle like she had done in the lake would get her home. But she wouldn't go down without a fight.

The sloping liquid swallowed her. In the real world, Hermione opened her eyes. Her hair had sticky strands in it, smelling murkily like a muddy pond. Her back against the cot, she stared upwards, not daring to move for fear of falling back into the beautiful nightmare. Mordred rolled over to her side, aching for warmth and Hermione let him. She ruffled his dark hair with new-found thoughts.

If Mordred was her son like the Lady had claimed, there was little thought of who his father was. Who she herself had had a sexual intercourse with. And if _that_ really happened and Mordred was the result, what would the future become?

"Hermione?" Mordred whispered, clinging to the arm that had absent-mindedly continued petting him. Hermione smiled gently, unsure of what to say.

"Go to sleep," she murmured turning to face the little boy. "It is still too early to function for either of us." She breathed in the scent of pines that still lingered on his skin. She closed her eyes and let herself drift into the comforting warmth, knowing well the innocence of the child and the love of a mother in her heart. She lost sense of her mind, but the words "I don't want you to go" still echoed in it loudly, as if Mordred had just spoken them out loud.

* * *

It was the lack of food products which made Hermione walk out of castle hungrily next day. Mordred stared at her, feeling guilty for taking the last food. The woman had given him the last bread and goat cheese they had, before packing a bag and taking off. The food tasted dry and scratched his throat, but he forced it down nevertheless. Hermione had given it to him kindly. Exactly like he had imagined she would.

Hermione was unsure where to go. Indeed, Camelot's marketplace was probably of highest quality in the kingdom, but the chances of running into Mordred's father were too worrisome. Therefore she transfigured her dress into the clothes of a peasant and set off, transfiguring her beaded bag into one of linen.

By learning one of the maps in the castle's library, she knew the approximate direction to go to. The forest was casting shadows everywhere and the nightmare, or an apparition she'd say it was, only worsened it. She knew Lady of the Lake would not jump out in her attempts to kill her, but her heart kept going pitter-patter.

The village she had thought of was exactly when the map said it should be. The sky was grey above it and there was not one person with a smile on their face. She stopped at the tavern for breakfast. Inside, there were only a few people, but the barman was delighted to see a newcomer. It seemed like not many people visited that place.

"What can I get you, miss?" the bearded man asked, polishing a beer stein. Hermione looked around and opted for something not too expensive. The man nodded and in exchange for a few coins, he gave her a decent breakfast. Hermione's stomach grumbled in appreciation.

"Thank you," she said gratefully and started at it. The man chuckled and introduced himself as Martin. Hermione inquired about the quietness of the place, but he waved it off, saying a disease was spreading.

"But worry not," he said with a toothless grin. "A man from Camelot is sent to take care of our people!" Hermione's heart skipped a beat. At that moment, a man entered the tavern and when the young woman turned, she was once again faced with Merlin.

"Hermione!" he exclaimed."What are you doing here?" He stared her up and down, unsure what to say about her current attire. He had grown used to seeing her in clothes that complimented her body. Although the petite girl looked pretty in a peasant's clothes, she was gorgeous in the fancy dresses. Hermione, however, looked terribly comfortable in her robes.

"Are you stalking me?" she asked teasingly. "Actually, I came here to see if I could buy some food, since we've run out. It usually would have been Genevieve, but she has taken a liking to gardening, so I left her to perk up the roses." She turned to the barman and thanked him again for the food and company, before standing up. Merlin exchanged a few words with the bearded man and then left, Hermione tagging behind.

"So, what illness is it?" She asked curiously. Merlin frowned at the question, but answered nevertheless.

"Well, Gaius and I examined what some of the dead had eaten and it's quite clear it spreads through water. However, most of the people don't die, which is odd. Especially, since many children have been infected and they're not in the worst state," he explained, as they walked down the street. "Adults go through with it in a few days and most of the time, they're cured. It's the little ones that need medicine."

Hermione stayed silent. She had thought it was very abnormal to meet Merlin in a place they shouldn't. However, hearing this, it didn't seem so random at all. Lady Luck had had it perfectly planned. She ought to have known they'd run out of food, but how? Vaguely she remembered her talk with Genevieve near a small pond. Water had ears.

"Would you mind if I came along?" she asked, wanting to see the ill children herself. An idea formed and she wanted to see if it was correct. Merlin was okay with her joining him, a bit happy even.

The first family they visited was from where Hermione ended up buying goat cheese. The children who were ill, twins, were pale and had dark hair. They were battling death, pearls of sweat on their foreheads, complaining about cold, although their body was burning. Merlin gave the parents two bottles of yellow liquid, telling them to give it to the children twice a day a teaspoon's worth. Hermione petted their hair and it seemed the children got better from that.

"What did you do?" Merlin whispered in her ear. "We're not allowed to use magic so openly!" A little more loudly he asked her to come along, as there were other children to tend to.

"I didn't use magic!" Hermione said after the door had closed behind her. "I think it was because they looked so much like Mordred."

"Mordred?" Merlin stopped."You know him?" The last he'd heard of him was his alliance with Morgana. Dread filled him – had Hermione gone over to the dark side?

"Well, it's kind of difficult to explain," she scratched her head."The thing is.." She stopped and took a deep breath.

"Would you fuck me?" she shoot straightly at him.

"Of course he would," answered a man behind them, who had been eavesdropping for some time. Hermione looked behind in shock. It was Prince Arthur on a shiny white horse. Then she looked back to Merlin who was blushing profoundly. "But he would be too stupid to ever admit it to you out loud."


End file.
